Arrietty's Justice
by Steel and Ink
Summary: When Arrietty becomes the apprentice of a goddess, her small amount of training barely prepares her for life on a super team. Please note: this fanfic takes place towards the beginning of the series.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any superheroes brought up or mentioned in this story. Please note that I am not currently caught up with the series, so this fanfiction takes place at the beginning of the show's run.

Chapter 1: Arrietty

"SURPRISE! Happy birthday!" My family screams at the top of their lungs. I sit up in my bed, quick as a flash, scrambling to cover myself with the blankets. "Mom! Dad! Oh my God! Hi! Um…why are you in here at eight in the morning?" I ask groggily.

"It's your birthday, sweetie, that's why!" My mom says cheerfully. I shoot her a sarcastic look, and she sighs. "Fine…Sam's soccer tournament got moved from 2:00 to noon and I wanted to make sure he was here for waffles and presents."

I nod and heave myself out of bed, shooing my parents out the door. "I'll be down in five minutes, okay? Just let me throw on some clothes." They grin cheerfully at me, and my dad yanks out his camera, snapping a quick picture of my birthday morning: bedhead and a loose t-shirt. Aren't parents wonderful?

Slipping into some shorts and a tank top, I pop my window open and gasp as the hot air hits me: when you live in North Carolina, you get used to the summer humidity.

I tromp down the stairs to find blue and green streamers all over the ceiling, hallway and living room. My older brother Carson and my little brother Toby sit cheerfully at the table, pounding their fists on the wood when they see me come down. Toby gives me a bear hug after I take a seat in my chair, and Carson wolf-whistles. "Well, aren't we wearing a little too little today?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

I throw my plastic spoon at him. "Shut up! Nobody's here who cares!" I snap. He glares at me, throwing his hands up as he puts on his innocent face. "Well, here I thought I was doing something nice. Nathan's coming over around ten. You'll probably wanna change before he shows up."

The blood drains from my face. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I breathe a sigh of relief when it only says 8:15. Carson shoots me a wicked grin, and I glare at him. "Why the hell did you invite your only friend who has a crush on me?" I demand.

My father's voice echoes in from the kitchen. "ARI! Do not swear in front of Toby!"

I roll my eyes and sink into the chair, grinning at my innocent seven-year-old brother. "Are you nicer than he is? I'm pretty sure you are," I tell him, and his face lights up at the compliment. For reasons I don't understand, I'm his hero instead of his 18-year-old super jerk of a brother.

"Ari, honey, don't forget you have a recording session up at Eclipse Records at four," my mother calls.

Right. That would be it. I'm a vocal prodigy discovered at the age of ten by talent agents roaming through Charlotte. Now, on my fifteenth birthday, I've released an album, am working on a second, and I've been nominated for two of this year's Grammy awards.

"Okay, I'll take the train downtown later," I respond. My father walks in with a heaping plate of birthday waffles: in the Karmin family, rather than cake, this is what we serve. Buttermilk waffles topped with melted butter, chocolate chips, a cup and a half of whipped cream, four kinds of berries, and bacon on the side.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he says, plopping a kiss on my cheek. "Thanks, Dad. Everything looks great!" I tell him. The moment he's gone, I dig in. Carson's already swallowed a quarter of his plate.

I slap his hand with my fork. "Slow down, piggy! You'll grow a snout and tail!" I snap. He glares at me but doesn't stop chewing.

After we've finished all our waffles, my mother sweeps in with a cry of "Present time!" and shoos us all onto the couches.

Box after box from distant relatives is thrust in my face, but at last I reach MY family's gifts. Toby gives me his favorite soccer medal, made into a necklace, and I clasp it around my neck immediately. "I wanted you to have something really special, so I gave you the one from the national tournament!" he says proudly. I tousle his hair. "I'll wear it forever and ever, buddy, I promise," I tell him.

Carson throws a bag covered in tissue paper at me, and I pull out a baggy dark gray T-shirt with my favorite TV characters on it, and I gasp when I recognize it. "Dude, I've been after this shirt for months! I couldn't even find it online! How did you get it? The Young Justice black market?" He smirks and nods at me. "That's for me to know and you to never find out," he laughs. I pull it on over my tank top, ignoring the immediate heat rolling over me. "It's awesome. And look! It totally matches my necklace!" I say with a grin, gesturing to the dark gray against the silver of Toby's second place medal. They didn't win Nationals, but they came damn close.

My parents laugh aloud, and my mother slides a box to me from the end of the table. "Open it up, sweetie! Your father and I hope you like it."

I rip off the paper and yank the box open to find something I definitely didn't expect.

"Oh, Mom, Dad, it's beautiful!" I gasp as I lift the dress carefully out of its wrappings. Layers of deep blue silk, trimmed with silver threads, layer one over the other, tumbling like the petals of a flower. I hold it up to my body as it unfolds, cascading from a sweetheart neckline to a flowing paler blue hem at the bottom. The top of the dress is almost navy, but fades to lighter shades of blue as your eyes move down the dress, blending with the silver trimming.

"It's amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" I stutter, amazed at the detail and craftsmanship. My parents smile. "We figured you could wear it to the Grammys," my mother says. "It'll help you look a bit older than your age."

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. It's amazing. I couldn't ask for anything better." I lay the dress out gently on the couch and wrap one arm around each of their necks, my knees resting on the ground.

"Hey, there's something else in the box!" Carson exclaims. "What?" I ask. Crawling over, I peer in, and sure enough, there's a piece of deep blue fabric at the bottom. When I pull it out, I realize it's one of those things women attach to their legs under their dress, but it also has some sort of container. "Um…what is this?" I ask, holding it up to my parents.

My mother rolls her eyes as my father smiles. "That would be a gun holster you can attach to your leg, under your dress," he says cheerfully. "In case of protection. Of course, you'll need a gun first, but we'll deal with that later."

I laugh at my father's overprotectiveness and hug him again when suddenly a blinding white light floods the room, and our front door explodes off its hinges.

When I open my eyes again, a beautiful woman in a flowing white gown has entered the room, glaring at my parents. "Frederick and Jessica Karmin- fifteen years ago you promised me your eldest daughter in exchange for your survival of the great Hurricane caused by the god Corinthes. I have come to claim her as my own."

I gape widely at this divine, lovely, and probably crazy woman. Her gaze shifts to me, and she smiles gently. "Ah- so you are to be my new apprentice." She snaps her fingers. "Not to worry, my dear. All your things are packed. But I'm afraid you'll be coming with me for a while, pet."

I glance at my parents, confused and frightened, but when I turn my head everything has vanished: the living room, my parents, Toby and Carson. "What the hell is going on?" I scream at the woman.

She simply smiles at me again. "I will tell you when we arrive," she says simply before turning her back to me. I want to speak again, but something tells me she won't respond, so I sit back and wait.

After a few moments, a huge castle looms before us, nestled among the clouds. Orange wisps of fire flash against the walls, and small waves of water lap at the edges of the palace. "Welcome, my dear, to your new home. Here you shall train to be my apprentice.

She glances at me. "What is your name, my dear?" she asks softly.

I swallow hard and collect my confidence. "Arrietty," I tell her. "Arrietty Karmin."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I take advantage of the moment to observe more closely the woman who kidnapped me. Long, white-blond hair tumbled down her back, a flowing white dress hugging her every curve. Her eyes, the dark gray of a thunderstorm, flash with excitement and mischief as we land at the front door of the palace.

"This will be your home for the next few days. If you need anything, my servants will attend you. Call upon me later this evening," she tells me calmly. With that, she vanishes, and I rise, unsteady on my feet. In front of me looms a huge tunnel, leading to a paved courtyard, and I pass through, blinded by the sudden sunlight in the huge open space.

Whispering and giggling reach my ears, and I turn in a slow circle, my senses heightened. Shadows from the morning light dance on the surrounding walls of the castle, the sounds echoing and growing louder against the stone until I feel as though I'm surrounded by a war party.

A low voice rings in my ear: "Boo."

I scream and leap several inches in the air before whirling around to face my attacker. Two girls, about my age, stand behind me laughing. "I told you she'd freak out!" the shorter one tells her friend with a laugh. The taller of the two grins down at her and slaps the back of her head playfully. "Knock it off, Sateri! She's probably scared out of her wits! These girls are basically ripped out of their homes before they start their apprenticeship."

"Um…hello? Who are you?" I ask, confused beyond belief.

As if just remembering my existence, they turn to me. The short one smiles again. "Of course, miss. So sorry. I am Saterina, and this is Paaë. We are your ladies-in-waiting, chambermaids, and personal chefs." They both grin lopsidedly and curtsy.

They were very different, these two. Saterina can't be taller than my shoulder, and her skin is a pale, pale red: almost white, but you can see the smallest tinge of dark rose all over. Her dress has long red sleeves with a black bodice and skirt, and her black curls tumble to her shoulders before being secured with a band. Her dark red lips and cheeks contrast with her hazel eyes, and it provides a marvelous yet chilling effect. Paaë, however, seems to be the definition of happy. Her skin is almost the color of the sky, yet somehow it appears normal. Her pale turquoise hair is tightened into a thick braid that reaches her waist, while her aqua dress has a short skirt and short sleeves. With her purple fingernails, lipstick and eyes, she resembles some sort of hippie nymph, towering over me by at least four inches.

But the thing that makes them really different is their long, slender wings: Paae's pale blue, Saterina's light red, stretching out behind them and veined with tiny, sparkling designs.

"Nice to meet you," I say cheerfully, adjusting to my strange new company. I cough and avert my gaze, scanning the areas around the courtyard. "Where are we?"

They gulp and exchange nervous looks. Paaë approaches me and bends down. "We can't tell you," she whispers nervously. "We're not supposed to. That'll be up to your mistress." She rises and curtsies, as does Saterina, and the two of them prepare to leave. "Wait a moment," I say quickly. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be so formal. Please, no more curtsying, and call me Ari, not miss." I smiled at them. "I'd prefer we be friends than you be servants." They grin and relax at these words. "Then step one, Ari," Saterina whispers excitedly, "is to get you ready for your apprenticeship to begin!"

"WHAT?" I scream. "Apprenticeship? I don't even know where I am! What am I doing here? Who is the woman who took me from my home! What apprenticeship? Who am I apprenticing? Why am I here?" They just shake their heads and sigh. Then it hits me. The strange woman, our flight to this castle, Saterina and Paaë's strange appearances. I collapse to my knees, my head spinning. "This place is magic, isn't it?" I whispered.

Their faces tell me everything I need to know. "Oh, god," I whisper. "What's happening to me?" Paaë holds my face in her cool hands and helps me rise. I hadn't even realized I'd fallen. "Come on, Arrietty," she murmurs. "We are Faeries, members of the Fey, and we do what we can to assist the divine. We'll go meet your mistress. She will explain everything to you."

I nod softly, accepting her help, and rise shakily to my feet. _Courage_, I tell myself. _You've sung in front of a hundred thousand teenagers…you can deal with a magical castle that pops up out of nowhere._

Blood pounds in my head as Saterina, Paae and I ascend three- four- five flights of steps before arriving at a glowing hallway off of a landing. The entire corridor reflects a soft, white light, illuminating all the differently colored doors on either side. Every color of the rainbow, every element of nature, reflects itself in these doors: blue, green, red, indigo, gold, silver- every color I can think of. Even as I watch them, the colors swirl and change, different shades of the same color conquering the door every few seconds. A white door glows at the end of the hall, invisible to the eye against the light of the hallway except for the cracks indicating its location.

The two Fey push me forward, motioning that I should knock on the door. I do so, nervous but unwilling to show it, and when a soft voice calls for me to enter I swallow my fears and walk straight in.

The woman from earlier relaxes gracefully on a couch, lean and stretched like a cat. "Welcome, Arrietty," she says calmly. "This is my chamber. Take a seat anywhere. Make yourself comfortable, as there is much for you to be told."

I glance about the room: white, white everywhere: glowing white, bright white, off-white: it all blends together to resemble an almost heavenly picture. I sink into a fluffy chair, getting as comfortable as I can under her serious, unwavering gaze.

"Why am I here?" I ask bluntly, earning myself a flicker of amusement from the woman's dark eyes. "I shall tell you now," she says plainly. "But first I must make something clear. You will refer to me as 'Mistress' or 'Lady' at all times, do you understand?"

She stares at me, her gaze turned cold and stern, and I nod gently, my confidence unchanged. She smiles gently. "Wonderful. Now, for your tale."

"Fifteen years ago, on the day you were born, the god of the oceans Corinthes sent a great hurricane to the shores of Eastern America. Your parents, living with your arrival and your elder brother, cried for the gods to save them, for they are of the few humans who still believe in the divine immortals of Kasa."

I blink and absorb this information, noting what may be important- Corinthes=oceans. Gods of someplace called Kasa. She goes on.

"I heard their pleas for help and was touched by their loyalty to our ancient powers. But when I arrived, I was so horrified by their appearances- bedraggled by the storm and your birth- that I nearly left right away."

"However, then I saw you, a little babe barely a few hours old, swaddled in a blanket of thin straw. I sensed the power in you: your potential, your strength, your magical aura. So I agreed to help your parents survive- in exchange for their eldest daughter on her fifteenth birthday. They agreed, to save their lives as well as yours and your brother's."

She settles back onto her sofa, watching my reaction as the information sinks in. Carson in college, Toby being born, my entire life- wiped out in a single storm, if not for the bargain this goddess struck.

My parents traded me for all of us to live.

Tears sting my eyes, and I wipe them away with one hand, brushing them off on my tank top.

"And now that you have me? What will you do?" I ask, my voice wavering with emotion.

She smiles. "Your power is strong, my dear- stronger than any I have ever known. You will be my apprentice, for I am Hana, goddess of all nature and leader of the lost members of the divine. Your power will be unimaginable- control of fire, water, air and earth, as well as any natural being you wish. You could shape-shift into a tree or human, become a being of flame, the opportunities are endless!"

This offer sounds better and better. A chance to be powerful, to be strong with my mind instead of my voice. I nod my head faster and faster as she continues with the benefits of being a goddess.

She smiles at me. "Paae, Saterina and I will assist you with a few days of training. You will then be transported to the universe of the Young Justice team, the apprentices of the members of the Justice League."

I squeak. "Wow," I mutter. "A chance to work with them? You mean they actually exist?"

She laughs, throwing her head back towards the ceiling. "Of course they exist, my dear! Your universe is only one of thousands in existence- the members of the Young Justice team live in their own. Your quest will require their assistance."

My cheering ceases, and I glance at her with confusion. "Wait…quest? What sort of quest?" I ask with suspicion.

My new mistress smiles. "Well, to start with, I'll be taking your singing voice and hiding it somewhere in their universe. Doesn't that sound marvelous?"


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here is the very intense chapter 3! Read EVERY WORD. It's THAT INTENSE.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, and I'm sorry if I use your actual name. It wasn't on purpose. Unless you're preppyred. Then I did use your name because it's pretty.

Chapter 3

"Now," murmurs the woman. "I am sure you have questions. Please let me say what I will; perhaps I will answer some. Then you may ask whatever you wish." I nodded and took a seat in the tree she had just been in. She strides to me and sits in the soft carpet just below my feet. She glances at them. "No shoes, I see." She pulls up the hem of her dress, revealing small, pale feet. "I despise them as well. They keep us far from nature." She takes a deep breath, but it's soft, like a breeze before rainclouds roll in. "I am Neferet, your new mentor, guardian, mistress and hopefully friend. You should not be alarmed. You have done nothing wrong."

"You are here because I chose you. Two hundred years ago, I came to Earth in the disguise of a schoolgirl called Paige. I met you there, in our one-room schoolhouse. You do not remember; that was another incarnation of you. I immediately admired your strength, your quick wit, and your loving nature." She paused. "I also admired your beautiful singing voice." Turning to face me, she said, "The power of each god or goddess is determined by the beauty and power of their singing. You had the strongest, loveliest voice I had ever heard, and I was determined to bring you here then."

She frowns. "However, the god Corinthes has always wished to become my apprentice- he wants to control all of nature, not just the seas." She grits her teeth. "But he is a terrible singer, and so his power is kept relatively weak. Nevertheless, he sent a great flood up the rivers from the sea and ruined your family's homestead, drowning and killing you all."

"I was enraged, but I knew to be patient. All souls reincarnate in time. So I waited, here and in the council at Kasa, always watching for your soul to return. And finally, finally, the god of the dead told me you were on your way to the surface."

"I rushed straight down to earth, searching as quickly as I could, when I found your parents living on the beach with you just barely born. Corinthes had found you as well, and determined to kill you again, he sent another great storm. I offered your parents survival, riches beyond belief, if they had only given you to me right then."

"Instead, they asked for time with you. They knew you would go in order for any of them to live, so instead of riches, they begged that they be able to have you as their own child for a while. I took pity and knew you would have taken many years to prepare for this training anyhow, so I told them I would come on your fifteenth birthday and wrapped them in a protective bubble, carrying all of you far away from the raging storm. Fifteen years later, I have returned, and after two centuries I am most certainly ready to have an apprentice."

Tears spring to my eyes as I listen to this tale of my parents. They had known all those years, and suddenly I realize why I had never been punished, never been denied anything. They had known we didn't have much time. I sob and forgive them in my heart. They are good people, but a little foolish, and for that they can be pardoned. I swear right then and there that I'll get back to them someday and tell them so. But right now, I have to deal with Hana. I stop crying and stand up, whirling around to face her. I tilt my chin up. "What am I supposed to learn, exactly? What's my apprenticeship for?" A gleeful smile lights up her face, and she claps her hands like a little girl. "Oh, fantastic! I'm so glad you're not angry with me! You'll be learning to be the Goddess of Nature. When you know enough, you will take my place in the Council of the Gods of Kasa. You will live for all eternity and you will not have to deal with the foolishness of mortals."

She sighs and snaps her fingers. "I almost forgot one of the most important parts of your training. I have to take your voice. I will teach you what you need to know, and then send you out to find it. Sometimes you will be able to use it along the way, but those will be rare. When your voice is found by you, and only you, then it will return to you and you will experience your full, newfound godly power. After that, I will give up my place to you, and you shall be known as the Nature Goddess for centuries to come." I gulp and put my hands to my throat. I love singing so much; I can't imagine any joy in life without it. She smiles gently. "This won't hurt, dear, I promise you." She begins swirling her white hands, forming a glowing orb between them, but I've seen enough. I sprint for the door, screaming with the voice I still possess. Then suddenly, my screaming stops. My mouth is open and I'm yelling at the top of my lungs, but nothing comes out. I turn around, and my eyes widen with shock as I spot a smaller, golden orb float toward the newly formed white box in my mistress' hands. I panic and run for it, but by the time I arrive, it's vanished into the glowing mass of white. I reach for her hands, but she tosses the box into the air, and it vanishes. As I stare up, she sighs. "There. It is hidden somewhere safe." Glancing at my expression, her face falls. "Oh, dear. I was hoping you wouldn't be difficult about this." She claps her hands twice. "Saterina! Paaë!" she calls. The door bursts open and the two of them come scuttling in. Hana grins at them. "Lead Arrietty back to her room, please. I'm afraid she's been quite overcome by the events of the past hour." She turns away back toward her sofa, and with a few steps, she has vanished as well.

"Come on, babe," Saterina murmurs in my ear. "Let's head back to your dungeon." I can't move my feet, so they both just sigh, extend their wings, and carry me all the way back. I feel anger and fear boiling in my chest, threatening to explode with every heartbeat. They drop me on my bed after undressing me and tuck me in, but all I want right now is freedom. As soon as they're gone, I leap out of bed and run for the door. Who cares if I'm naked? I want to kill Hana. I want to destroy her. She's taken away everything that made me happy and I want to get it back.

I jiggle the golden handle with no response. The door has been locked from the outside. I bang on it until my knuckles bleed, trying to scream "Let me out!" Eventually I sink to the ground, sobbing, tears rolling down my face and silent cries emanating from my throat. It's strange to feel yourself cry but hear nothing at all.

That afternoon, sitting against the doorframe, I vow to eliminate Hana. I'll go along with her scheme. I'll train. I'll behave. And when I find my voice and have my power, I'll destroy her. I'll force all my power onto her and crush her with it until the nature she loves turns her to a white, powdery dust.

Returning to my wardrobe, I pull out the first-aid kit Neferet somehow packed and wrap my hands with bandages before I cover myself up with some pajamas. If training starts tomorrow, there's no point going to bed exhausted. Whatever I learn could definitely help me, and as a soft blue glow descends over the room, I realize Hana must have cast a spell over it so I would fall asleep faster.

In just a day, the whole world has been turned upside down. "Happy birthday, Arrietty," I whisper to myself. "You got who you wanted…Young Justice in three days…"

I wake up moments later in a world colored red and black, and I panic for a moment before realizing I must be dreaming. The Young Justice team yells, and their shadows make flashing appearances in an exploding light. I let out a silent war whoop and join them, toting a bracelet of glowing beads I've never seen before. Our opponent doesn't show itself, but I still sense where it is, flinging beads and chanting random spells in my head, laughing as I spot blood run along the ground.

So this is battle.

"ARRIETTY!" A familiar voice cries, and I whip my head around to find Kaldur being dragged into a dark alleyway by a slimy tentacle. I fly to his rescue, pulling on his arm as hard as I can before I realize he's pulling me. He grins and laughs wickedly, his face morphing into that of Hana as we plunge down, down, down into a vortex.

I wake in my own dark room, panting, wishing I could scream or cry out. The tears I would not allow to flow earlier stream down my face, salty and warm, and I let them come before blotting my face on the sheets and collapsing back onto the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, if you read Chapter 3, IT WAS INTENSE! chapter four is slightly less exciting but necessary and full of emotion. WARNING: YOU MAY CRY WHEN YOU READ THIS. I did, and im the author!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything I mention.

Chapter 4

Before Paae and Saterina come barging in, I slip into the wardrobe and put on clothes I know will be fine for training: dark jeans that won't slip off my waist and a comfortable, form-fitting green shirt. Nothing to dangle and get in the way, but easy to move in, and I grin at my genius before shoving my feet into a pair of Converse and setting off down the hall.

I walk down the hallway, following the smell of maple syrup, and grin when I enter a relatively modern-looking kitchen. After the outer appearance of the castle and the ancient furniture in my room, I was almost expecting giant wood ovens. Paae stands at the stove while Saterina sits at the table, and I tap them both on the shoulder before waving hello and taking a seat. My habits of speaking reach me, and without anything coming out, I automatically mouth the words, _Why are you guys servants here instead of working in the Faerie universe?_

Paae laughs and flips pancakes on the griddle. "That's easy. We weren't quite so…obedient back in the Faerie kingdom. As in we snuck out to go party a lot. And since we were the Faerie Queen's handmaidens, well, she started to notice. One day she busted us and was trying to figure out how to punish us when her friend, your mistress Hana, came to visit. Hana went on and on about how it was almost time to go get her new apprentice, so the Queen had this brilliant idea and sent us here to help you out instead, to teach us a lesson!"

I grin. _I'm glad you're here_, I mouth. _Do you miss it down there?_

Paae laughs and nods. "Absolutely, but you're pretty entertaining! Now eat up!" She sets a plate piled high with pancakes in front of me, and I grin and dig in.

Scarfing down my pile of pancakes, I notice Saterina is being much quieter than usual. I rise and placed my hand on her shoulder, and she breaks into a violent sob. Without pausing to think, I reach my arms around her and give her a huge bear hug. In my mind I consider asking what's wrong, but realize I can't and sigh. Suddenly, a voice echoes in my head: _I am well, Ari. Do not worry. _I turn to stare at Saterina, who has already stopped crying and smiles at me. Her smile soon fades, and I heard her voice again: _I am only very distressed at some news I have received from home. _She holds up an ivory parchment, folded into three, and thrusts it at me before bursting into tears and rushing away down the corridor. Paaë and I gaze down the hall, watching her open her red wings and fly straight up. Paaë frowns and turns to me. "I had better go get her. Please read the letter, but as fast as you can; your mistress wants you in her chambers in twenty minutes." Then she pops open her own wings, and when I blink, she's gone.

After absorbing what I just witnessed, I return to the table and resume chewing my pancakes. I suddenly remember the letter in my hand and set it down next to my plate, swallowing my last few bites as I smooth out the creases in the fancy paper and begin to read.

_My dearest Saterina,_

_I send this letter not with joyous news of your freedom; nor does it contain joyful news of any sort. I come to warn you that your beloved, Cantir, will be performing the rites of adulthood in three moons. At that time, as you know, a woman will choose him for her husband. He is quite handsome, with his red bandana around his head and his wavy blond hair, and I am depressingly sure that some female in the kingdom will snatch him up if you are not home for the ceremony. I beg you to ask the goddess for leave to return to the kingdom at that time so that you do not lose each other forever. In the meantime, Cantir and I will do our best to put off the ceremony and convince the Queen to give him more time. I pray you hurry home, dear friend, for these arguments will not prevail. My brother sends his love to you and has enclosed a token should you not meet again. I have hope you will return to us in time._

_Your Dearest Friend,_

_Katya_

I refold the letter and leave it on the table. So Saterina is in love with someone and has been taken from him: we have more in common than I thought. I glance at the clock and shoot up from my chair; I have to be in Neferet's room in three minutes. Stuffing the letter in the pocket of my jeans, I shoot out the door, deciding on my way to ask Hana to let Saterina go home in three months Still, as I walk, my thoughts distract me from the task. I'm about to start training, and while I despise Hana, I'm excited. I will unlock hidden talents, and I'll be one step closer to getting my power and destroying the goddess.

I knock tentatively on the door to Hana's room. A breezy "come in" floats through from under the door, and I push on it lightly with my fingertips. It opens up, and I step forward. The room is different this time: a sandy shore about fifty yards long reaches down to the edge of the water, where calm waves lap against the damp sand. The beach stretches for as far as I could see, and in front of me, Hana dances barefoot in the waves, her white dress tucked into her sash and her pale hair streaming through the sea foam. She exits the water as I approach, releasing her dress back down to her ankles. Placing her hands gently on my shoulders, she looks deep into my eyes. _Welcome, child, to your first day among the eternal. _The second voice of the day enters my brain, but Hana had not opened her mouth. In my head, I wonder, "How is that happening?" _Simple, my dear. _I jump at hearing her once again, and she smiles. _Since all apprentices lose their voices, I am able to use telepathy. It is a special privilege; you do not have it, but gods and goddesses do. Faerie may also use telepathy if necessary, but it takes years of training and emotional control. _She releases me and takes a few steps back towards the ocean. Snapping her fingers, her entire body is absorbed in a bright glow, and I had to shield my eyes. When it fades, she's dressed in a stretchy white outfit, ready for combat or any sort of training. _There are four elements to teach you how to master. Today you will learn about fire. _She gestures with two fingers towards the right of the beach. _Follow me._

We walk for perhaps half a mile before coming to a black stone circle. At the bottom of it, orange circles resembling dodgeballs wait innocently. They look harmless enough, but as I descend into the ring they set aflame and begin to hiss and leap at me. I take a step back and allow Hana to descend first. As the circles of fire morph and approach her, she raises her hand, and in doing so lifts the flaming orbs off the ground. She lowers her hand and smashes the flames against the rock, after which they dim and hiss and roll to the other corner of the ring. I tentatively follow her path to the floor of the dark circle and stand next to her, waiting for instruction. She turns to me. "Verbal instruction may perhaps be better for this exercise," she said. "Now. I want you to focus on those balls of fire. Each element is controlled by a different emotion: fire can be mastered with anger or lust, whichever the being is feeling more of at that moment." She reaches over and shuts my eyelids with her fingertips. "Listen to your feelings. What makes you angry? What makes you want?" she whispers in my ear. I think of how she had taken me, of how I had lost my parents, my siblings, all the love in the world in a single moment, gone. I remember my rage at my bedroom door the night before: my knuckles still ache from trying to get out. I feel her lift my hand and murmur, "Now…release your anger! Your frustration! Use it to control the fire!"

Suddenly, I feel something very different. I feel something alive in my mind, angry and afraid. It's close to me, but also a little far away. I take a few steps forward and the feeling grows stronger, and I soon realize what it is: I had made a connection with the fire. I feel what it feels, and it does what I do. A constant struggle is going on in my mind: I want to control it and it wants to control me. I fight hard against the fire orbs, not wanting to lose complete control of myself. I wrestle with its fear and anger, and as I begin to lift my hand, I can feel the flames rising too. I make a fist and pull the fire towards me, feeling the heat as I choke it and pull it closer to me. I sense the circles crash together; I can see the fresh, blue flames in my mind. My rage overtakes me once again: this ball of flame, in its cage of stone, has decided to be against me, and I need to teach it a lesson.

I enjoy the feeling of power it gives me, knowing I can throw the fire and bring it back without really even trying. I play yo-yo with it a few times, as if I was practicing my baseball throws back home with Toby in the backyard, and decid to send that fire flying before I settle down for the day. I stretch my hand back as far as I can and thrust it over my shoulder, releasing my control over the flames. Unbridled joy courses through my veins as the fire pulses in my blood one last time before departing and soaring far, far away. I smile at the heat of my recent battle, lost in my chaotic thoughts.

I'm interrupted from this tired reverie by a scream, followed by a hiss and an anguished cry. I open my eyes and see two figures standing atop the edge of the stone ring: one completely white, the other, aqua and lavender. I fear the worst has occurred as Hana holds Paaë gently in her arms. I cry out silently and run for the top of the ridge, completely forgetting my exhaustion. When I reach them, I send a frantic message to Hana: _Iseverythingallright? Wha happened? Is she dead? Hurt? _Hana laughed and released Paaë, who glares viciously at me. I suppose I look pretty confused, because Paaë huffs angrily and turns around. Half of her lovely red braid is missing, and the rest of her hair has come loose. It's singed at the ends, and I think it looks pretty, but I can hear Paaë screaming with rage in my head: _How could you do this? My hair! My beautiful hair! You burned it all off with that stupid fireball of yours, you dumbass! _She opens her undamaged wings and flutters off, but she looks so much like an angry butterfly that I can't help but laugh.

Hana dismisses me with a wave. "You are much stronger than I thought, my dear. You have mastered fire already. Tomorrow we will try the element of air. Now, I would suggest you go try to repair Paae's hair."

I bow respectfully and take off after my friend, easily following the trail of smoke from her smoldering braid in the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok so you probably didn't cry during the last chapter…that's because I typed that and forgot to remove it before I posted it and realized I hadn't put the sad part in the chapter anyway -_-

oh! if you've been confused about Paaë's name, it's pronounced pai-ay. I think.

So anyway post a review if you want me to a) have her learn about the rest of the elements or b) move on with the story

for now, we'll learn about WATER :D WHOS EXCITED?

disclaimer (ill let Arrietty take this one). Arrietty: SEND ME HOME, STRANGE VOICE! (static on screen, returns to me) scratch that. um, I own nothing I mention. except the picture of byrneshadows face. that is hilarious and it is MINE XD

enjoy!

Chapter 5

The rest of the afternoon is a bit fuzzy in my head: I run after Paaë and apologize as much as I can without words. I follow her into her room, which surprises me: it hadn't occurred to me that Saterina and Paaë actually sleep. They're always so…well…awake. Her room has aqua walls with a lavender flower print layered at the top. It completely resembles her personality, and I laugh as I catch glimpses of the stuffed animals and purple flowers scattered all over the room. She's sitting angrily at a blue dressing table with a large mirror, and huffs when she sees me in the reflection.

It takes me begging on my knees with puppy-dog eyes for her to forgive me for burning off her hair. Sitting there pouting on her stool, she seems completely against me, but eventually she smiles and lets me stand up.

"Can you help me fix it? she asks. I grin and nod. I'm awful when it comes to makeup, but hair is my area of expertise, and I'm already picturing in my mind how fantastic her hair will look if she lets me help her. I open a few drawers and pull out scissors, a large purple hairbrush and some rubber bands. I think for a moment before running into the kitchen and opening the bottom cabinet next to the stove. I saw some black hair paint in there earlier, and I grab the can, slamming the cabinet door and heading back into Paaë's room.

A look of panic spreads over her face when she sees the paint, and she starts to squirm and opens her wings, like she's going to try to escape. I take hold of her shoulders and make her look me in the eye. I send her a message: _I know what I'm doing. Relax. _She sighs unhappily, but settles down on the stool and squinches her eyes up tight. "Tell me when it's over," she whimpers. I laugh silently and set to work.

First, I even out her burned area with the scissors, giving her layers so that the black streak cuts in a jagged pattern, with a 'V' of black starting at the back of her neck and running up along the edges of her hair, over her ears before fading into her pale blue bangs. I make a smaller, thinner braid that pulls back the front center of her hair and trails down until ending just above the black tip of the V. Tying the braid with a silver ribbon, I set the brush and other ties down on the dresser counter and uncap the black paint. I sense her wince as the first cool spray hits her bangs. _Cover your mouth, _I tell her. She does, and I go on spraying a black line down the edge of her bangs, which stretch from her part to down at her chin, and I leave the strip of hair dangling. I then spray black down along each side of hair in the back between the braid and the burnt edges, as well as spritzing a small bit of paint on the end of her braid so it matches the hair tie. I recapp the paint and messaged _Open your eyes. _

She does so, and her hand flies to her mouth. She starts to cry and snags me in a giant bear hug. "Thanks so much, Ari! I never dreamed it would look this good! I have to go show Saterina; she needs something pretty to cheer her up. By the way, your mistress wants you again her room soon instead of tomorrow." She spreads her wings wide and goes racing through the air and down the hall.

I smile and put all the items back in her drawer before leaving the room and crossing the hall back to Hana. If my next round of training goes as well as my first, I'll be doing Saterina's hair too.

Once again, when I open the door to Hana's room, the scenery has changed. Instead of the beach, the air is steamy and fogged, and hot water springs, or "natural Jacuzzis" as my dad calls them, are set in a circle in front of me. A pool of cooler water lay to the right, but my attention is on Hana, who sits in steamy bubbles just in front of me. When she spots me, she stretches her arms into the air and heaves herself onto the edge of the pool. Swinging her legs around to the front of her, she rises gracefully and draws on a white robe that appears from nowhere. As she approaches me, I grow warmer and warmer in this clogged, humid atmosphere. I hope we're going somewhere else for training.

She laughs gently and asks, "Are you ready to learn your second element, my dear? I believe you have mastered fire, as Paaë could plainly tell you." We both laugh at this, and I find myself shocked at the fact that while just the night before I had despised this woman, I truly enjoy her company and look forward to my time with her. I have begun to accept my fate, but I am not ready to let her get away with changing my life.

I snap my attention back to her words. "As I told you, elements are controlled by different emotions. Fire is controlled by anger, air by joy, earth by confidence, and water by sadness. I am sure it will be difficult, but to harness the power of air, you must be truly happy." She frowns at me and looks me in the eye. "Can you find joy in your heart, my apprentice?"

I nudge her hands away and approach the steam wafting up into the air. Cracking my neck, I raise my hands and shut my eyes tight with concentration. I search my heart for anything that has ever made me happy, if I can be happy again. I search long and hard for that sliver of happiness, racketing around in the recesses of my mind, but just when I'm about to give up hope, my spirit catches something. It's only a wisp, a small puff that seems to have expired and broken. I snatch it up and draw it into my mind.

It's the image of freedom I once had: of running from the singing career I didn't want and following whatever new dream came my way. Floating in space, twisting in and out around the planets. I fly high into the night sky, feeling the stars grow closer with each passing second. I sing, a pure, high note, then a symphony of them, listening to the song echo though the galaxies as I take advantage of my newfound freedom. Far below, someone calls for me, but I can barely hear them anymore. I call to the stars and break through whatever barrier had held me down.

"Open your eyes! Open them, girl! What are you doing?" My eyelids flutter open. I stand in the same position as before; not a muscle budged during my daydream. The steam that once clogged the air is gone, boiling water and gray rock lining the plain surface of the ground. "Up here!" an urgent, fluttery voice cries. I look up and gasp. Suspended in a swirling cyclone of hot air, Hana is held upside-down. "Arrietty! Put me down this instant!"

I'm about to try to bring her down when I have an idea. With a grin, I call to her with my mind: _Let Saterina and Paaë go home for the next courtship ritual and I'll set you down! _She grins and calls, "Agreed, you clever girl! Now put me down, please." I don't even have to move my hands to bring her back. I simply picture Hana standing in front of me and the air steaming just above the pools again, and it happens.

Hana turns away from me and stands stock-still, gazing at the cracking mountaintops above us. I begin to exit the room, but she whispers, "Wait a moment, dear." Returning to my post next to her, I place my hands behind my back as hers are and gaze into the setting sun as she does. Finally she speaks. "You are nearly ready; far more talented than I expected." I glance at her with the corners of my eyes, and she turns to face me. "You will begin your quest in two days' time. I will help you learn what I can teach you, but you will finish that by tomorrow, I think. Then we will prepare you to go and find your voice. Saterina and Paaë will accompany you." She faces the mountains again. "You are dismissed. And my apprentice, my dear friend…I am proud of you."


	6. Chapter 6

THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE QUITE DRAMATIC. PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE. YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. Or the Greek gods. But I DO own Hana's awesome room. That thing is MINE!

Chapter 6

Hana is wrong. I finish my training at 1 am that night. Water and earth were easy, and I don't sense as strong a connection as I had with air and fire. I spend the next couple days pulling sane clothes out of my wardrobe and tossing them into a large blue suitcase. I've been happy for a few days, and while I still miss my family, I'm on an adventure and I'm going to miss any of it. For the first time since I was nine, I can spend my days exploring and actually accomplishing something instead of being trapped in recording studios for ten hours at a time.

Paaë and Saterina seem excited too. After I told them that they can go home for Saterina's boyfriend's ceremony, she went nuts. She soared everywhere, doing backflips in the air. She and Paaë danced at least twice a day while they packed, and I couldn't blame them: the Faerie world is probably pretty fantastic, and it's always nice to go home.

I wish I could.

I stand in front of my wardrobe, trying to figure out which last shirt to pack, when I decide to use my powers and use a small wind I created to brush some hangers aside. Just hidden behind a yellow tank top waits the long silver dress from a few days before. Suddenly, the lengthy sleeves shorten into spaghetti straps, and the hem rises at least a foot and narrows, so that it's suddenly a hot nightclub dress instead of a ballgown. I ask the wind to change it back, and suddenly it's the classic dress again. I grin and take it off the rack, knowing a changeable dress will come in handy. I also slip in the long blue-to-pale-blue dress my mother gave me before I left: I'm a goddess-in-training now. I'm going places where people will pay attention to my appearance.

Later that day Hana knocks on the door of my room and comes in anyway. I scramble to finish shutting the overflowing suitcase seated on my bed, and she smiles. "My dear apprentice," she says. "There is an easier way." She walks over to the suitcase and mumbles a few words, and suddenly the piles of clothes lower into the suitcase. I stare blankly at her. _Why didn't you teach me that? _I ask, knowing she listens. She grins again. "You still have no voice. Therefore, you cannot say the charms of the spellbook. You will learn the spells after your voice is found."

I sigh and finish zipping the suitcase. "One moment." Hana puts a hand on my shoulder and keeps the other behind her back. "There is something else you need to pack." She grins and moves her other hand behind her back, shaking out a piece of dark blue stretchy fabric. I must look pretty confused, because she tells me, "It is your battlesuit: for combat or difficult situations. It is equipped with everything you need. You will take it because you are joining a team of superhero apprentices. It will give you the start you need." _How did you get me into it? _She nods her head. "Yes. There are multiple universes: and as I told you, you will be entering the one where the young heroes go on missions. One of these missions leads you near your voice: finding out which one it is is up to you to figure out." I was still a bit confused. _But mistress, my question wasn't that…my question was…how did you get me into this team? _

Hana looks sad, and her face drops. "The one they call Batman. He and I knew each other a long time ago, and he owes me a favor. We have…a history."

I blush, knowing she has just revealed something very personal, and I take the battlesuit with messages of thank you. Hana grins cheerfully again. "One last thing," she says pleasantly. Murmuring a few words, she cups her hands in front of her face and blows into the gap. When she parts them again, a bracelet with glittering blue and silver beads hovers in the air and gently lowers itself onto my wrist, settling into place with the soft rolling of glass on skin.

"These are your spell beads," she tells me. "Should your powers ever fail you or you are trapped in an area where no natural elements act, simply chant a spell in your head and throw a bead at your target or escape route. They are a backup supply of magic, if you will."

I swirl the beads around on my wrist, admiring the way they flash and change from blue to silver in the light. Magic of my own, almost as strong as my own natural powers, resting so close to me. Hana grins again. "They can also be used for wonderful pranks- just a side note, of course. When you run low on beads, just send Paae or Saterina with a note and I'll have them bring you some more. Just because you'll be on a quest doesn't mean you shouldn't have some fun."

_Thanks_, I tell her with my mind. _These will come in handy, I'm certain._

As she leaves the room, I send her one last message: _I'm sorry. _She smiles and shuts the door behind her.

I don't look back the day Paae, Saterina and I leave the castle. Somehow, I know I'll see my teacher's house again: to visit. I've abandoned my scheme of revenge: I have too much respect for Hana. And surprisingly enough, I don't miss my family as much as I had thought: I'm having a great time all by my fucking self. Saterina and Paaë and I have become great friends, and I wear my gun holster from my parents around my waist every day to remind me of them. But I'm independent now, and I know I've been chosen for something fantastic.

Saterina and Paaë carry me as they fly, and we chat excitedly: while I'm with the team, they'll be staying nearby to make sure I do alright and to prepare for their trip home, as well as carrying messages between Hana and I. Saterina is incredibly excited for the second one.

"I can't believe I'll be there to choose Cantir!" she cries out. "I've missed him so much. Has it really been a month?" "Well, herp derp, Sateri!" Paaë replied. "The moon changed once; that usually equals a month." Saterina laughed. "Yes, Paaë, a moon cycle is a month." She looks forward again. "I'm keeping count. Three more and I'll be back to my love." Paaë crosses her eyes; they had obviously had this conversation many times before. "Your darling Cantir, with his slicked back blond hair and body of a god? His stony face and serious eyes?" She pouts and then laughs. "Sounds like quite a relationship, chica."

I have a serious thought then, and I send it to Saterina: _Are you sure he really loves you? _She stops flying, but Paaë keeps going, so I end up getting stretched between them until Paaë notices and comes back. Saterina fixes me with a steely gaze and whispers, "Yes. I'm sure he loves me. I know because of the token he sent." She reaches her open hand into her pocket and pulls out what resembles a shiny scrap of paper. As I lean closer, she tells me, "This is part of Cantir's wing. If a Faerie's wings are not complete, they cannot fly, and so he sent this to me to show he trusts and loves me. I will bring it back to him: I am faithful. Loyalty is important to us both, and it matters in any relationship."

Her words send a shiver through me, and the power of their meaning is clear as she radiates emotion. I hope that someday I'll be able to love as deeply as she does.

We keep flying, out of the clouds and over the ocean until we can see a tall green mountain on the shore of a hilly city. My heart starts racing as we approach the place where my quest will begin, and my time with the Young Justice team.


	7. Chapter 7

RJSNKBJSALJDJKD I HOPE YOU ARE ALL (two of you) AS EXCITED FOR THIS CHAPTER AS I AM :D :D :D

so…we all know she's going to meet people this chapter…and heck, maybe it'll be funny.

OH YEAH I DOESN'T OWN THESE PEOPLE…but I wish I did cuz then I'd be like KALDUR I LOVE YOU…sigh…im sad hes animated :'(

Chapter 7

Saterina and Paaë drop me off at the base of the mountain with a cheerful goodbye and float off over the nearby city. I shift my gaze away from their shrinking figures and turn towards the mountain in front of me. Hana wrote a note about how to get in on a sheet of paper, which I yank out of my pocket. I take a step forward and hear a metallic clang underneath me.

Grinning, I walk to my right five steps and jump on the ground. I feel the soil sink underneath me, but it definitely isn't soil: it's a giant button. To my left where the metal had been, the grass cracks and begins to lower: a cleverly disguised door lowers and changes into a downhill ramp into a gray hallway. I hop off the button and descend into the dimly lit hallway below.

As soon as I reach the bottom, the door behind me begins to rise again, cutting off any chances of leaving. I take a deep breath and set off down the fluorescent-lit corridor. Metal sliding doors with scanners next to them line the hall, on either side of me leading into rooms I might see later, but I have my instructions and keep walking straight. A larger gray door waits at the end of the corridor, and I hold my hand against the scanner next to it. A soothing computerized voice comes on. "Access: apprentice of the Goddess Hana. Number 6OA." I can feel people on the other side tensing up, and I guess they can hear the voice too. They were probably waiting for me to arrive. I take a deep, shaky breath, steadying my nerves as the door slides open, and I step confidently into the circular room in front of me.

In the center of the room, glowing blue tiles line the floor in a large circle. In the air around them, different screens show pictures of all the superheroes cities I can remember: Gotham, Metro City, Atlantis, and more. A metal device glows above the whole setup, and my guess is that the whole thing is a bunch of holograms and live video feed of cities showing together.

In this circle, a tall figure with a black cape stands pressing buttons on a screen I can't see. I suck in my breath as I realize who it must be: Batman. No wonder Hana had a "history" with him; even from here, I can see that he's _built. _Rippling muscles line his arms, and I'm sure that's not the half of it. I shake my head gently, remembering he's WAY too old for me, and shift my gaze to the left of the circle, where a strange crew waits, tension showing plainly through their seemingly-blank gazes.

The six of them, all teenagers, wear some very strange outfits, and I recognize them as their battlesuits. I'm grateful I changed into mine before I left Neferet's palace: clearly battlesuits are their equivalent of formal attire. They stand in one row: now that I think about it, it's youngest to oldest.

I recognize them all from the TV show: I had seen most of the beginning episodes. The first one, the farthest to the left, is clearly Robin, Batman's sidekick. With his black cape and mask, red stretchy outfit, and utility belt, I easily recognize him from the comic books. It also helps that he has a little 'R' symbol over his heart. The next one, a medium-height blond girl dressed in green, is Artemis, Green Arrow's apprentice. She has a light wooden bow and a green quiver of arrows slung over her back. The next in line, Kid Flash, wears a yellow suit stretching to his forehead with red flashes by his eyeholes. He's grinning like an idiot. After him comes Miss Martian, in her white t-shirt with the red crosses and blue cape/skirt combo. She wears her classic pink headband in her reddish-brown hair and an easy smile spread across her green face. To her left (and my right) stands Superboy. Tall, angry, and an extremely hot teenage replica of the real-deal Superman. I almost want to smile at him, but his stony expression convinces me to quell the urge. His muscles ripple beneath his black t-shirt and blue jeans, and I look away quickly, embarrassed that I might be caught staring.

The last in the line deserves an entire paragraph. He was always the most important on the show and I can tell he always will be. His name is Kaldur.

He has white-blond hair shaven almost down to his scalp, contrasting with his light brown skin. He wears a sleeveless red top with black stripes on the sides resembling his gills. Yes, gills: he's Aquaman's apprentice and has lived in Atlantis for most of his life. A black belt rests on his waist with the gold crest of Atlantis in the middle, after which his gray pants stretch to his ankles and bare feet. But what really matter are his eyes. They're the dark gray of the sea during a storm, similar to Hana's, and behind them lies a calm, hidden pain I can't even describe. They're serious and distant, like he's looking at you but not really looking at you. Flecks of gold and silver sparkle among the gray. He stares at me intently, clearly curious and doubtful of the team's new member and I grip the strap of my bag slung on my shoulder for support.

A deep voice interrupts. "Welcome to Mount Justice, young apprentice. I'll need to know your identity to enter into the computer system. An identity is different than your name; it is what you will be called in battle. What is your identity?" I turned and found Batman looking coolly at me.

Identity. This would be my goddess name- I know Hana goes by something different during official council meetings. Something more formal, stronger, harder to describe: something beautiful, elegant, unexpected-

_Aurora. _I think to myself. _Aurora, Aurora, Aurora!_

Unfortunately, since I can't tell him, I start thinking it in my mind: _Aurora, damn it, Aurora! _Of course, since he can't hear me, he looks pretty annoyed at my silence. "If you can't speak, perhaps you would be willing to tell Miss Martian." She steps out of the line towards me, and I hear a voice- her voice- in my head.

_What is your identity? Why aren't you talking? Is something wrong? _she asks. She looks concerned and sympathetic. I breathed out, relieved that someone here has telepathy. I respond quickly. _I can't speak because the Goddess took my voice. It's the last part of my training: the quest for my voice. When I find it, I can speak and sing and do whatever I want with it, but for now, I'll need your help to communicate with the rest. My identity is Aurora. Could you tell them that? _She smiles and nods, obviously relieved not to find me stupid, and turns to the group. She repeats what I said, leaving out the part where I'd asked for her help communicating.

Batman and the other five sidekicks nod slowly. Superboy looks annoyed. "Can she understand what we're saying?" he asks.

That makes me mad _fast_, and I unleash a hail of curses at him in my head, wanting badly to scream _I CAN DAMN WELL UNDERSTANDING EVERY FUCKING WORD YOU SAY, YOU PILE OF SHIT! I'M NOT AN IDIOT! GO GET SOME FUCKING EMOTIONS! _Miss Martian makes a face when I do that, and still facing me, she says, "I don't think I should tell you what she just told me." I glare viciously at Superboy, shifting my gaze when Batman spoke again.

"Then Aurora, you are now a part of one of the most secret and important teams currently operating. Your next mission won't be for a while, so take some time. Get to know your new teammates and put your things in your new room; Megan will show you where to go." Miss Martian, or Megan, I guess, sends me a tentative smile. Batman heads straight for the transporter at the back of the room, and Megan gestures for me to follow her. Before I leave, however, Batman calls to me once again. "Aurora, if you communicate with your mistress…tell her I haven't forgotten her." Then he vanishes into the machine.


	8. Chapter 8

HEY GUYZ so byrneshadow laughed at the last chapter even though it was more of an intro to some stuff. THINGS COME LATER/NOW SO YOU IS EXCITED :D

this is also sort of a settling-in chapter so BE PATIENT action comes soon.

disclaimer: I don't own young justice or any comics characters I mention. HOWEVER I DO own Alice/Katara because she's totally awesome.

ENJOY!

Chapter 8

I follow Megan down the hallway with my bag, which Hana had shrunk to allow easier travel with Saterina and Paaë. The rest of the apprentices chase after us as soon as Batman leaves.

Robin is the first to get to me. "So…Aurora, huh? Sweet name. What's your real one? Robin isn't my real name, but I don't tell it to anyone. It'd kill the whole 'mysterious shadow' thing, y'know?" He's shoved aside by Kid Flash, who winks ridiculously at me. "Hey, good to have someone new around here. Especially someone as pretty as you. I'm sure Megan is a competent tour guide, but what do you say I give you a tour of some of the more…private areas of HQ? How old are you, anyway?" I blush dark red with embarrassment and flip him off as Artemis jabs him with her elbow, whispering "Wally, she just got here! Behave, you idiot, or I'll pummel you!" Then she turns to me. "Sorry about him. He'll flirt with anything female."

I laugh quietly and glance at Megan. _Broadcast this aloud, could you? _She smiles and concentrates. _Is it working? _I think to myself. My question is answered when my old voice echos through the hall. _Okay, never mind then._ _Thanks, Robin. And Kid Flash too, I guess. My name is Arrietty; I turned fifteen last week. Is his name really Wally? _I ask, pointing to Kid Flash. He turns scarlet as everyone else starts laughing. "I told you it was a stupid name!" Artemis howls.

Wally looks pretty annoyed and slinks away, scanning his hand next to a door and walking into his room. Robin and Artemis also return to their rooms, and I follow Megan again. She stops at a sliding door near the entrance to the base. "This is your room. On the left, five doors down from the main training room, if that helps. The kitchen and living room are three doors to the right of here. I'm Megan, obviously, and the others are Robin and Artemis, well, you know their real names already. Wally you've obviously figured out. Aqualad's name is Kaldur, and Superboy hasn't really figured out his name yet. We just found him a few months ago, and, well…"

I take her hand and smile. _I know how you found Superboy. I know he's had troubles. _She frowns at me. "You do? But…how? You just got here a few minutes ago!"I sigh. _It's…tough to explain, _I attempt to tell her. _I'll tell you some other time, okay?_

I press my hand against the scanner next to my room and the door slides open. I have to say, the room isn't what I was expecting. It's large and open-spaced, for one thing. I expected more of a military-styled room. Instead, the ceiling stretches at least twelve feet above my head, and the walls and ceiling are sky-blue and white. To my left, a bed with dark blue covers and pillows lies in a little alcove, perfect when I'll need to get away from it all. On the far wall, a long table with a wooden chair is pushed up. Above it, light wood shelves stretch three rows up from wall to wall. On the other side, in a small, light blue alcove of its own, rests a hanging chair. A circular wooden framework stretches from the hook to several inches above the ground. Shaped like a bowl, dark blue cushions and pillows are spread out on the wide seat of the swinging chair, and flowers are strewn all over it. A stereo system with large speakers sits on a little table just next to the hanging chair. A large chest with five drawers stands against the left wall between the bed alcove and the table.

Megan gasps and I do too. I have no idea how the room got so nice. Then I notice the glowing white stationary on the table desk and my little wind friend swirling the flowers in the chair so the room smelled sweet. I grin and send a message of thanks to Hana before walking in, plopping my bag down near my bed.

Leaving Megan standing in the doorway, I smile gently at her. _I hope everything ends up okay. I know I'm kind of an interruption to your normal routine. _She smiles and pats my arm. "Hey, don't worry about it! This team is only a few months old. There's not much routine to start with."

Then she went to her room to change and I decide to do the same.

I pull my bag over to the chest of drawers and open it up. Suddenly, it seems like an enormous task, so I call for my wind to come help me. Together we put all the clothes in the right drawers. I stick my battlesuit on one of the hangers I had packed and hang it on the desk chair. I would tape a hook on the wall tomorrow. For now, it's lunchtime, and I'm starving.

Throwing on a pale green t-shirt and some jeans, I'm interrupted by a knock at the door. I finish pulling my top over my head and open it (fairly easy- it was automatic from the inside). Standing in front of the door is Kaldur, dressed in a dark blue collared sweatshirt and baggy gray pants. "May I come in?" he asks in his deep, soothing voice I recognize from the show. I nod and move out of his way. He enters, taking a long look at the room before sitting down in the desk chair. His eyes continue to wander for a few minutes before returning to me, standing awkwardly by the door wondering why the fuck he's in my room.

He thrusts a whiteboard and pens at me. "This will be an easier way to communicate. We are not all telepathic like Megan." I nod in agreement, taking them from his grasp and dropping myself cross-legged into the comfortable hanging chair.

He nods calmly at me. "Batman gave me a brief description of Kasa apprentices like you before you came. You are very powerful, and I am glad you have come to join our team until you complete your training. But the simple fact is that although you are stronger than all of us, you should not believe yourself to be above us. We fight for the same causes, and we work as a team, not as individuals."

I breathe in deeply and nod my agreement. I knew this is their policy before I came here, and I have no plans to usurp it. I uncap the marker and scribble on the whiteboard.

"_I know I am not better than any of you. I wish to work with all of you, not drive you against me or attempt to take any power for myself."_

He nods and sends me a small, rare smile, clearly pleased with my answer. "Wonderful. Here is your key to the transportation device," he states calmly, tossing me a small silver rectangle. I slip it into the pocket of my battlesuit to be used later and send him a thankful glance. Rubbing my sleeve against the board, I write "Thank you" and show it to him before erasing the words and resting back in my chair again.

He rises, clearly prepared to leave. "Lunch is in a few minutes- please, join us. Megan is a wonderful cook. She's picked up culinary skills pretty quickly for being so new to earth."

I nod eagerly and join him, starving and definitely craving some food. Leaving the blank whiteboard lying on the bed, I follow Kaldur out of the doorway and down the hall, following the warm, wonderful smells wafting down the corridor.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When I return to my room after lunch, I stiffen as the door slides shut behind me. Something is wrong: I can sense it in the air.

Stepping cautiously forward into the room, I cast a small whirl of air and send it spinning around the room, blowing any strange scents towards me. Roses and rainwater reach my nose, and I take another slow step, scanning for anything out of place or different from when I first saw it.

_There._ The whiteboard, left empty on my bed before the meal, now has blue writing scribbled all over it, the marker left uncapped and bleeding ink on the slick white surface. I race to the bed, tossing the marker aside before reading the hastily scribbled message.

_To the girl who has taken what I desire- Give yourself up to me. You are strong, but I am stronger. Relinquish your powers and return to the life you knew, and perhaps I will not harm you. Come to the waves' edge this evening at sundown. I will be waiting. Corinthes._

Shivers race up my spine: so this is the god who wants to be Hana's apprentice. I took his job, the powers that he desired so, and now he wants them in exchange for my survival. I clench my teeth and fists. No way is this bully getting my powers without a fight.

I raid the top shelf of my wardrobe and pull out the whistle Paae told me to use in case I needed them to carry a message to Hana. Blowing softly on it, a high, sweet note pierces the room, and soon I can hear the fluttering of wings from above.

Saterina materializes in front of me, arms crossed and a frown on her face. "This had better be important. You've only been here for an hour, and if there's already a problem you're going to suck ass at this job."

I stick my tongue out at her and show her the whiteboard. _Let Hana know, would you? This could actually be a major problem if he comes after me…or my family._

Her frown deepens as she reads the note, her smirk vanishing as she nods seriously. "I'll let her know- she'll straighten him out pretty quickly once she finds out about this threat. Still, be on guard, okay?"

I nod my agreement, and Saterina cocks her head, listening with the senses of a cat. She grins cheerfully. "Cantir is waiting for me," she says confidently. "I can hear his excitement for my arrival. By the way, you have training starting in ten minutes."

With that, she vanishes before I can even ask how she knows. A moment later, a knock on the door interrupts my surprise, and I slide it open to reveal Artemis standing on the other side, still in her full battle gear. "Training in the main room in ten minutes," she tells me calmly. "You'll want to change and bring your weapon." I nod and offer a gesture of thanks before she continues down the hall, spreading the message. Snatching my battlesuit off its hanger, I quickly change into it and pull my dark blond hair into a loose braid before checking to make sure my spell beads are still on my wrist.

They rest exactly where they were, unaltered, glittering midnight blue and sparkling silver in the bright afternoon light of the room. I smile to myself and calm my nerves, knowing I need to keep my emotions steady in order to truly train well.

I slide my door open and take off down the hall before freezing and glancing down: I'm still wearing Converse. I slap my palm to my forehead and return to my room, kicking the shoes off my feet and changing into the stretchy, element-resistant flats Hana gave me that match my battlesuit.

Taking off down the hall, I glance at the clock and realize I have only three minutes to reach the main room, and panic before remembering it's only five doors down. I calmly press my hand against the scanner, and once again the computer announces my arrival before sliding the door open. But there's one change this time: rather than "the apprentice", this time it addresses me as Aurora.

I have definitely reached the point of no return, and I let that newfound fact sink in as I enter the training room.

Artemis, Aqualad, Superboy and Miss Martian wait on the large holographic circle, glaring at the door. Aqualad and Artemis nod their respects to me, and Miss Martian shoots me a cheerful smile and wave while Superboy just stands there, arms crossed and keeping his focus on the door. Robin and Kid Flash arrive just barely on time, cheerful and loud, easily breaking the awkward silence that had stayed in the room among the five of us slightly older team members. Wally may be older than both me and Artemis, but he sure doesn't act like it.

Kaldur nods to us all and turns to the computer, pressing a few quick buttons on the screen before stepping off the edge of the platform. The rest of us back off of the circle, spread in a ring around it as it begins to glow. "Training mode: engage," Kaldur orders to the computer.

The video feeds disappear, replaced by two blank, wavering blue screens on opposite sides of the circle. "So…who wants to go first?" Wally asks with a smirk.

Superboy steps onto one side of the platform, walking straight through one of the screens. As he does so, the computer announces, "Opponent: Superboy. Abilities: superior strength, speed, sight and hearing." His information writes itself out on the screen behind him, an obvious advantage for whoever challenged him.

Silence descends for a moment before Robin surprises me and steps out onto the platform. The cool, mechanical voice comes on again. "Opponent: Robin. Abilities: tool belt, advanced agility, smoke screen." His information also appears on the screen behind him before three beeps signal the start of the fight.

I walk over and nudge Megan as other members of the team sink into conversation or watch the ongoing tussle. _What's going on? Is this training? _I ask, confused by the lack of instruction occurring in the ring.

She laughs. "This is what we do to train! Two members step into the ring and are sealed in by a wall of invisible energy, watch." She points to Superboy, who has just been knocked against a supposed wall and leans on what looks like nothing, but something is clearly there. I nod my understanding and let her go on.

"We can't hear anything, but inside the ring, the computer is offering each of them strategies for how to defeat the other and how to improve their fighting technique. Sometimes an actual member of the Justice League comes and teaches us vocally during battle, rather than the computer. It's pretty interesting to watch and see how their fighting style changes a little during the actual tussle."

I nod and laugh as Superboy grabs hold of a darting Robin's cape and yanks him out of his flight path, throwing him to the ground. The younger boy doesn't get up, either tired of being knocked down or injured from his fall. The energy wall fades, and the computer's voice echoes through the room again. "Winner: Superboy."

The two teens step off the circle, Superboy helping Robin up, and the screens clear again, ready for the next pair to battle. Kid Flash steps onto the platform, grinning with his hands on his hips.

"Who dares challenge me?" he asks in a deep voice, turning in a slow circle with a confident smirk on his face. Something in me clicks, twitches for battle, wants to bring this proud opponent down. I step onto the platform, and a small gasp comes from Miss Martian: I doubt she or any other team members expected me to step up today.

The electronic voice clicks on again. "Opponent: Kid Flash. Abilities: supersonic speed. Opponent: Aurora. Abilities: unknown."

Kid Flash turns pale: if he doesn't know my abilities, I have the advantage, and I grin wickedly at him as I sense the energy wall descend around us. Trapped in this small, transparent cylinder, I can sense the other team members watching us closely.

No- they're watching me closely. They want to know what I can do. This is the time for me to prove myself in front of them- to amaze them with my powers and show them I can hold my own on a team of superhero apprentices.

Wally pulls down his goggles and braces himself to run, but as he prepares himself, I have a moment of enlightenment. I can see the gears turning in his head, every strategy he's preparing: whatever he tries to pull off, I can sense it now, before the battle has even begun. As his mind races and focuses on one strategy, I grin and plan my counterattack before he's even enacted his plan.

He races around the edge of the circle, aiming to hit me head on, but I summon a gust of air and lift myself up into the higher levels of the battlefield. He freezes, gazing up with shock at my speed, which was even greater than his. I smile and wave at him before focusing my emotions: I picture the moment I realized I would not see my family again for a long time. Sadness floods my veins and tears nearly spring to my eyes as water appears between my hands, and I thrust the orb at him.

He sprints around the circle, racing faster and faster, dodging each of my wave bullets, and finally I pause, my swirling orb of water held frozen in my hands. My frustration with my inability to hit such a fast target is growing rapidly, and the water begins to boil as my rage increases.

I split my hands, attempting to cool my emotions, but my temper has flared too far, and rather than two spheres of water, one hand holds a cool orb and the other holds a ball of fire. Wally slows a little, shocked, before changing his strategy and running in a circle as fast as he can to attempt to create a tornado inside the cylinder.

Dissolving my water and fire, I shove my hands out in front of me and swirl the pattern of air as he creates it, bending it to my will rather than his. The tornado splits in front of me, two separate cyclones, and I send them spinning towards the ground, chasing after him as he runs straight into one.

He cries out and falls to the floor, whirled about and dizzy. I fire another gust of hair, heated with flame, and he groans, fanning his face as the hot air traps him in a wave of heat. He holds up his hands, offering surrender to the tornadoes, and I blow one last spark of fire at him before sinking to the ground and stopping the cyclones.

I approach him, smiling, and offer my hand to help him off the ground. He takes it, grinning cheerfully, and yanks off his goggles after he stands up. "Hey, nice job! You almost roasted me, though!" he says amiably. I grin and shrug an apology as the computer announces me the winner and the energy wall vanishes again.

Miss Martian and Robin run up to me, clearly amazed by my abilities. "Whoa! That was awesome!" Robin says, his voice dripping with awe. "When you held that ball of fire in your hand- man, that was cool! How did you do it? Could you have killed Kid Flash if you'd wanted to?"

I glare at him for asking a question like that, then grin wickedly and not. _Fireballs are easy, _I think in my mind. _You haven't seen the half of it. _Miss Martian shivers at my eerie threat, but smiles at me and places her hand on my shoulder. "Not a bad way to start off your time here," she tells me. "Just don't get carried away."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

That night, the entire team had changed into casual clothes, and the six of them pile onto the couch to watch TV. "Movie night!" Robin calls loudly. "My turn to pick! We're SO watching The Simpsons Movie." I slip into an armchair, separated from the couch where the rest of the team lies.

A collective laugh goes up from the group. "Seriously? I didn't know you were _old _enough for that show," Artemis says with a grin. Robin frowns and smirks at her. "Please. I can do anything."

As they force the DVD into the player and turn the lights down, I take the opportunity to vanish from the chair and out into the hall. Pressing the button I know leads to the outdoors, I tiptoe up the grass-covered ramp towards the beach: it's almost the late-summer sundown, and without a reply from Hana, this meeting with Corinthes is going down whether I want it to or not.

I grin to myself and clench my fist, gripping a few spell beads as well. If my teacher's accounts of Corinthes' easy defeats are correct, his main tool is intimidation, so if I hold my ground my powers are stronger than his.

The sun begins to dip below the edge of the horizon behind me, and I squint my eyes at the darkening ocean, the fading light warm on my back. The waves churn and break, higher because of the rising tide, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. Seems the ocean god pulled a no-show.

I prepare to head back in when a fluttering of wings interrupts me. Whirling around, I spot Saterina flying straight at me, her mouth wide open in a scream. "DIVE, DUMBASS!" she screeches, and I leap aside as she plows right into where I was just standing.

After the dust settles, I cough and brush it away from my face before running over to help her up. She sputters and spits soil out of her mouth, irritated and cursing at the top of her lungs. "Fucking piece of shit! If I had just left it at the apartment instead of sticking it in my pocket, I could have landed just fine! Damn that stupid extra horrible stinking glorious piece of wing!"

I shoot her a confused glance and pull her off the ground with a swift tug. She brushes the last of the dust off her dress and frowns. "Oh, Cantir's wing is throwing off my flight balance- we have to have just the right amount of magic dust on us to fly. I should have left the damn thing with Paae." Laughing silently, I glance at her again, curious as to why she's here.

Her face lights up as recognition spreads. "RIGHT. Why I am here. Your mistress sent you a response and some advice, along with a few extra spell beads for your bracelet, just in case." _Thanks_, I mutter softly to myself. She growls and sticks her tongue out at me. "Hey, don't blame me! I'm just a fairy! I don't know how to fight some stupid minor god!"

Suddenly, a great, screeching roar echoes from the waves and forces us both back a step or two, hands clasped desperately over our ears in an attempt to drown the noise. The silence closes around us again, eerily soft, and we exchange a look. "What was THAT?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders.

The waves part as a great monster shoots up from the water, towering at least fifty feet above our heads. The last bits of sunlight fade, and we retreat, chasing after the remaining glowing rays. Saterina pats my hand. "Hey, catch you later, okay? I don't feel like dying today!" She reaches into her pocket and tosses up a bit of dust, vanishing a moment later, and I stick my tongue out at the spot she just occupied. _THANKS FOR NOTHING, BITCH! _I scream in my thoughts before whirling around to face the beast before me.

Built of water, seaweed and rocks stream down its monstrous form as swirling arms and legs writhe into existence. It stands stock-still, as though waiting for orders, and a maniacal laugh rings from near its shoulder.

"Well, little girl, it seems you heeded my warning," a low voice murmurs. "A wise choice. I am Corinthes, god of the seas, but I want more. I want what you've got, luv- the power to control all of nature. So I'm hear to offer you a deal."

I glance up, and there, standing by the monster's neck, waits a man. His hair is bluish-green, and he wears no shirt. A fish tail covers him from the waist down rather than a pair of legs, slimy and slick from sea grime. He's younger than I expected, perhaps in his early twenties, but an evil glint of wisdom lurks in his eye.

For a moment I ponder moving into attack position, but it's a little hard to punch water, so I cross my arms and shoot him a sarcastic glance. I'm not sure if he has telepathy, but I think in my mind anyway. _And what do I get out of this- if I give you my powers? What's my prize?_

He laughs again. "Excellent question. Once I possess your power, I shall return your voice to you and return you to your home and family in your own world, as well as not enacting my future laws upon your universe." He grins wickedly, offering teeth as yellow as the coral floating in the monster's head, and I shiver with disgust.

Floating down, he whirls around me, coasting on a wave so that he can reach me. He looks me up and down, staring hungrily, and I angrily cover myself up as best I can: even with clothes, I feel almost naked under his revealing gaze. He grins and lifts my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Or…you're not bad on the eyes. You could rule by my side, if you'd like," he hisses as what I guess he thinks sounds seductive. "We would be unstoppable, and you would wreak havoc and destruction wherever you went."

I shake off his hands and slap his face as hard as I can. _No way on that one, you pervert, _I snap in my mind.

He rubs his cheek, a mischievous smile spreading over his face. "Saucy…I like it," he mutters to himself. "Just don't try anything too risky, or I promise you, you'll be sleeping with the fishes." I cross my arms again and place myself in a defensive stance, ready to use my powers or run if necessary.

He turns to me, his gaze cold and unrelenting. "Now, do we have a deal?" he asks, offering his hand to me. I stare at it, frozen in space, and don't move a muscle toward him. He grits his teeth impatiently. "I'm waiting," he hisses, his tail flapping against the foam waves.

When I still don't move, the waves pound the shore as his face clouds with rage. "Fine then," he growls. "I'll just have to dispose of you like I did the last time you came around."

Knocking me to the ground, he pins me down, giving me no access to the spell beads, and I curse at not bracing myself for a sudden attack. Lifting one hand, he brings sea water from the nearby shore and begins forcing it down my throat, drowning me on land. I fight and struggle, unable to get a good grip to knock him off me or to aim at the huge rock nearby. With my free legs, I kick him hard where his fish genitals ought to be and spit the ocean water in my mouth back at him. He groans in frustration, and I rush to my knees, running for the cover of the stone.

He snarls and chases after me, hands extended into sharp claws, and I focus my powers to heave the boulder at him. Emitting a great roar, the wave monster comes crashing after him, but Corinthes flies backward as my rock hits its target and knocks him back several hundred feet.

I cough and sputter, seawater filling my lungs, and my vision begins to spot from the lack of oxygen. A sharp zap and the buzz of electricity fills my ears before cold hands press down on my chest and force the water out. Kaldur's serious face appears before me, and I sit up, not wanting to look weak in front of the team leader.

He frowns. "Are you all right, Arrietty?" he asks, genuine concern spread over his features. I nod and mouth my thanks before I refocus my attention on the newfound god of being a jerk.

The fish-man has fled, standing safely on the shoulder of the great monster, and calls a threat I can't hear. He gestures forward, and the creature marches towards us, roaring the same ear-splitting shriek as before. Kaldur begins to pull out his whips, but I shake my head and place my hand on his to tell him to put them away.

As he slides them back into their compartments, I pull a glittering blue spell bead off of my bracelet and create the spell in my head.

_Glittering monster, made of puddles,_

_Now be harmless as floating bubbles!_

With all my might, I hurl the bead, now sparking and glowing, straight at the monster's head, sending a strong wind to carry it on its path. The spell connects, and a flash of bright light fills the air. Kaldur and I cover our eyes, avoiding the glare, and when I look back the only things remaining are millions of tiny soap bubbles floating away into the sky. Corinthes falls back into the water, landing with a great crack, before being born away on the waves he loves and quickly vanishing below them.

Kaldur approaches me. "Is he dead?" he asks with a hopeful air. I shake my head: it was too easy. Corinthes will be back, and most likely when I least expect it.


	11. Chapter 11

You know you're excited. You know it. You want to know what's going to happen next. WELL YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT, AREN'T YOU? byrneshadow might hate me, but eh, too bad. ENJOY THESE INTENSE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.

Chapter 11

By the time Kaldur and I return to the base, the glow of the TV screen is at full brightness, and a well-timed laugh from the group disguises our entrance. I attempt to slip in as though I never left and escape questioning, but Kaldur detains me in the hall, and I know I won't escape him.

He crosses his arms and stares at me, not condescending, simply curious. I take a defensive stance and let him look his fill before raising my eyebrows to indicate, _Satisfied? _

Kaldur nods and finally opens his mouth to question me. "What were you thinking, going without warning us? We could have helped you. We are your team now, as well as you being part of ours." He offers another whiteboard and marker to me, and I take them, prepared to lie with ease.

_He threatened to kill you unless I came alone_, I scribble impatiently. _I didn't want any of you getting hurt. You've been very welcoming to me and you are my team._

He glances at the whiteboard and nods his understanding. "All right, then. But you will acknowledge you needed my help to keep you from choking." I roll my eyes and wave my hand at him, giving him the victory while keeping my vile and selfish thoughts to myself. His hand comes out and rests on my arm, forcing my attention back to his face. We make eye contact, and I tremble, wanting desperately to back away from his stormy gaze.

I straighten my shoulders and brace myself. I will not back down. This is a game of intimidation, just like with Corinthes, and I intend to win.

Long minutes tick by, lightning zapping between us and crashing in the middle, and I swear I can see the flashes of light when they collide. He shifts his hand from my arm to my wrist, so softly I don't even notice until he clutches my hand in his own, drawing me a step closer to him.

"I know your kind, Arrietty," he murmurs. "You have suffered, though I don't know how. You want to be alone and believe you are stronger that way. Just remember we can help you as well as hurt you."

I have no response. His gaze, his touch, quicken my pulse in a way I don't understand, and my mind fogs and clears over and over again. Finally, I simply nod, casting a placid expression over my face, and something resembling…disappointment…flits over his before being replaced with an expression of satisfaction. He nods. "I am glad we understand each other," he tells me, before pressing my fingers to his lips in the Atlantean fashion and returning to the room where the rest of the team still watches the film.

What just happened?

~later~

I lie on my bed, staring at the ceiling, bored out of my skull. Glancing at my clock, I shoot the flashing 2:00 am an angry glance and sit up. I won't be sleeping tonight.

Sliding back the covers, I roll myself out of bed and place my head in my hands. My throat still burns from the salt water Corinthes forced down and Kaldur forced back up. My lungs ache, still desperate for air, as though they remain flooded.

I picture Kaldur's face again, in the moment just before he left. Disappointment, mild pain, sadness, desperation- all of these were in his eyes before he wiped them away and changed his expression. Why, I have no idea. I've done nothing to deserve his attention, his emotion, except for that one conversation with him tonight.

Shaking my head, I stretch my arms and slip on a sweatshirt. He's my teammate, nothing more: the lack of sleep is messing with me. A walk might help clear my head, and the warm night is sure to lull me to sleep. Maybe I'll call Saterina or Paae and have them tell me a story.

The hatch lifts open just a tiny bit, not enough for me to reach but enough to make no sound. I call up a tiny breeze, which lifts me up to the surface and quietly closes the door behind me, leaving me alone in the shadow of the mountain.

I walk out towards the beach, the mussed sand from our earlier battle washed away by the high tide. Wandering, I let the sand sift through my toes and sigh in relief as the sense of entrapment I had in the base disappears. Exhaustion overtakes me, and I fall to my knees a few feet from the waves, soaking in the cool air. If the only reason I can't sleep down there is because of the tight quarters, I'll sleep on the mountainside or off in the meadow, but there is no way I can spend more than a few hours at a time in that hole.

Stumbling forward a few more feet, I drag myself into the safety of the deep grass, where Corinthes' waves won't swallow me up in the middle of the night. Dawn comes from over the ocean here, so I'll be awake and back inside before any team members even realize I've gone. Satisfied with my new strategy, I curl up in a ball and take one last look at the starry sky, blades of tall grass waving above me as I collapse into a relieved sleep.

Voices drift in and out of my dreams, bouncing off walls and rolling back to me before flying off again. No faces come to match them, and the sounds are unrecognizable when all of them sound against each other. Only poor little Toby stands out in my mind, crying with all his might for the sister he lost. I want to reach out to him, to hold and cradle him and tell him everything will be all right in the end. But when I grasp at the wisps of tears, I find only my own staining my face dark with sorrow.

I wake with a start, the trails of real tears drying stiff on my cheeks, and glance at the horizon, my heart racing. The sun barely begins to arise, the sky still dark gray and pale purple, but I sit up and rub my eyes anyway. Time to head back in before any of the others rise for early morning training.

Lowering myself back into the base with as little noise as possible, I wait with tensed muscles until the ramp clicks shut, and sigh with relief when no bedroom doors open. Slipping back into my own room, I lie down on the bed and close my eyes, still exhausted but unable to really sleep in this little box. Decorated as it may be, the white panels and metal grates remain, an ever-present reminder that I am not in my comfortable bedroom at home or out among the elements, but stuck in a big metal dollhouse, complete with furniture and dolls.

A long time later a buzzer sounds, and my eyes pop open, groaning soundlessly as I roll out of bed to begin the day. A sound alerts me to someone's present, and when I slide the door open, there stands Robin, hand raised in preparation to knock.

He grins and lowers his fist. "Hey! Breakfast in ten and then we have a mission. Your first mission! This is gonna be awesome!"

He offers a cheerful wave and moves off down the hall to deliver the message while I change. My battlesuit, sleek and dark, still waits patiently on its hanger in the closet, and I change before checking that my spell beads remain on my wrist and head to the kitchen to grab some grub.

Munching on a piece of toast, I finish my last bites as I walk into the training room. Batman and the Flash wait, arms by their sides, and squint as I enter. Only two other team members have arrived, and the two heroes have clearly decided that anyone who comes after this point is late.

As if on cue, the rest of the team bursts in, serious expressions on their faces and dressed in battle gear.

Batman nods at us. "Well, now that you're all here, we'll get straight to the point. A young boy is being held for ransom somewhere in London. The kidnapper has yet to announce what they want or who the reward money should be paid by."

"Your job," interrupts the Flash, "is to locate the child and his kidnapper and apprehend the criminal. The boy will be returned to his family. Under no circumstances is any sum of money to be paid by any party, so part of this mission will be restraint of relations and friends. Miss Martian and Robin will be placed in charge of this. The rest of you will retrieve the child. Understood?"

We all nod, and Batman pulls up a holographic map of London. "This is the neighborhood we believe the child is kept in. Do some sleuthing and make absolutely certain of his location before bursting into any buildings. Go."

Just like that, with no words of comfort or good luck, we're gone from their sight and racing for Megan's bioship, prepared to do our duty.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After we loaded ourselves onto the bioship, everyone did a quick weapons check and we took off for London.

Wally reclined into his seat. "Well, as long as we've got a two-hour flight ahead of us, might as well watch some TV," he says casually, kicking back and pressing a button in the side of his chair. A television begins to lower, but Miss Martian frowns.

"Not now, Kid Flash. This is serious. We have an actual mission here and we're going to prepare." She slams the television shut and rockets Kid Flash back to a seated position, choking him on his seatbelt.

Kaldur nods. "Megan and Robin, you know your assignments. I'll start the tracking software on the boy's location. The rest of you, once we arrive, keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."

Everything went smoothly after that- casual conversation, preparing weapons, things like that.

Then we arrive in London.

The sky clouds with thick fog, so much that Megan can barely see out the windshield. I clear a little path, but it still doesn't help much, so I just stay glued to the window to watch for anything suspicious from our not-so-marvelous viewing point. From high above, all we can see is gray streets covered with litter, along with raincoats and umbrellas blurring under the rain.

I sigh. _This is ridiculous. I'm changing. Megan, put me down, okay? Okay._

Miss Martian rolls her eyes. "If you insist, Aurora. The bird's-eye view isn't doing much for the mission." She obligingly lowers the ramp, and I focus my energy. Hana once said I could shape-shift, so how about I shift myself a less conspicuous outfit?

A small gasp goes up from the group, so I turn about and strike a quick modeling pose in my new mini-skirt, sweater, and high-heel wedges before leaping off the ship and landing easily on the outskirts of the neighborhood.

Oh, how I am enjoying these magic powers. Now I just need to find my voice and I've got a one-way ticket to immortality along with them…and the upcoming ceremony of manhood could buy me some much-needed help from the Faerie Queen to speed things along.

What am I saying? Am I really so eager to leave my team and be all-powerful, after only a few days? This is crazy! I'm not done, and everyone knows it…

Except for myself.

I glance around as I reach the more crowded areas of the district: civilians pack every square inch of sidewalk, and soon I have to push and shove with the rest of them just to get anywhere. Pulling in alongside a group of teenage girls, I pretend to be a member and people-watch as I stick close to my new gang. Superboy soon enters my range of vision, his super-speed probably allowing him to catch up pretty quickly, but the rest of the team must have needed to change into civilian clothes first. They'll catch up later.

The expression on Superboy's face rapidly changes, and he subtly shifts through the crowd to stand next to me. Holding out his watch, he taps the buzzing screen, and we both watch for a message.

Robin appears onscreen. "Everyone's down, and we've got the tracking software right on. Your target is an apartment above Cucina Mariana in Sloane Square. Underground will get you there faster than walking if you've got your extra cash. Good luck." He vanishes, and Superboy casually drifts away again. I hit the Underground station on the corner and descend into the ruddy darkness, checking a map before quickly hopping a stall and climbing onto a jam-packed train.

Deboarding in Sloane Square, I head straight up to find most of my other team members in various locations. The group blends together, a better disguise than each of us alone, and we pretend to chat and laugh as we head into the restaurant Robin described.

"Just keep walking," Kaldur murmurs. "If anyone asks, say you were looking for the bathroom, or just turn and leave." We nod in agreement and continue up several flights of stairs before finding a hallway with two apartments on the fourth floor, each with a WELCOME mat just in front.

"Great. Which one is it?" Superboy mutters.

Kid Flash walks forward and tests under each WELCOME mat. A small jingle reaches our ears, and he grins. "Other apartment," he says confidently. "Kidnappers wouldn't leave such an easy way in or out. Kid could get the key with a magnet and lead the cops straight here."

Artemis nods her reluctant agreement. "You're pretty stupid sometimes, but other times you're useful. Let's get that kid."

This begins a huge argument over how to pick the lock. Should we make it look like we weren't here? Should we make it obvious that we came?

I sigh and melt the whole metal mass with a fireball, kicking the door open and whistling loudly against my teeth over the din of their fighting. Clearly, as a team they have not quite reached the point of total perfection.

Rushing in, I promptly begin searching for the little boy: saving the child is the team's first priority. Fingerprint scans and searching for evidence comes later, a concept not yet grasped by Kid Flash and Artemis. I roll my eyes and shove open as many doors as I can before coming to another locked one. I bang on the wall, summoning Aqualad and Superboy to my side, and together they beat the door down.

Small whimpers emerge from the closet, and Aqualad yanks it open to find a small boy blindfolded and wrapped in rope, his hair shaved down to his head.

I quickly message the team and alert them to our discovery when footsteps and the sounds of fighting alert us to the fact that we're not alone.

Racing out into the hall, Superboy slings the boy on his back and dives through the gunfire before vanishing down the stairs and onto a hopefully waiting bioship. In the meantime, two marvelous kidnappers stand in the doorway firing rounds of bullets at us.

Pleasant first mission.

I dive behind the walls into a bathroom and look around to spot other strategies. Kaldur could easily defeat them with his electric whips, but with all the bullets there's no clear shot. Artemis and Kid Flash are firing what they've got and confusing the kidnappers, but their distraction won't last forever.

I yank a spell bead off my wrist. "Let's try you out, baby," I mouth to myself. Kaldur spots the bead in my hand. "The same kind?" he asks over the din. I nod and prepare a spell in my head.

_Bullets strong in endless number_

_Go from fire to quiet slumber_

_Superboy must make post-haste_

_With these moments that we waste_

_Turn those guns to bubble wands_

_So we may make these foes be gone!_

I hurl the bead with everything I've got, and it explodes between the two men, showering silver glitter over the pair of them. In moments, their firearms are gone, replaced with harmless plastic bubble blowers.

Kaldur fires his whips and hits the two simultaneously, knocking them both unconscious with the electric shock. As Wally places handcuffs around their wrists, a buzz on our communicators interrupts.

"Bioship is above the building. We're ready to move out when you are." Megan offers. "And the boy?" Kaldur asks calmly. Miss Martian smiles. "He's terrified, but otherwise all right. He keeps calling for his parents and his sister, and he's crying quite a bit, but I think he'll recover just fine once we get him some meds and a ride home."

"Then we're on our way up!" Kid Flash howls cheerfully, letting out a victory whistle before heaving a thug to his feet and shoving him out the door, Artemis close behind with the other while Kaldur and I take the back.

"How are you adjusting to life as a crimefighter?" he asks casually as we ascend to the roof. I shrug to indicate how much gunfire bothers me when a sudden pain hits, and I gasp in surprise.

Peeling away the sleeve of my battlesuit, I'm horrified to find it sticky and coated in blood: one of the bullets must have hit me.

Even as someone who should get used to fighting, blood is not my strong suit and probably never will be. Still, I attempt to swallow my fear as Kaldur examines the wound, since I can't get a clear view.

"The bullet didn't stick: must have gone straight through your shoulder. Lucky it was such a narrow area, but I'm surprised you didn't notice it hit you."

I shoot him a bewildered expression, lost as to how it might have escaped me. We head back into the ship and I hit the infirmary to bandage myself up. How does one not notice getting shot, anyway?

I'm so busy kicking myself for getting injured on the first mission that at first, I barely hear the little voice squeaking up from the corner.

"Ari?" It asks quietly.

I whirl around, terrified and shocked. I know that voice. I've heard it almost every day of my life.

One of the shadows on the wall melts away and approaches me: the boy, unbound and ungagged. Even without the fluffy brown hair and cheerful smile, I'd recognize him anywhere.

Toby.


	13. Chapter 13

Please note- yes, I used the lullaby from Barbie as the Island Princess. I apologize for incorporating it but it is in fact a very sweet lullaby.

STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.

Just kidding no one's reading this anyway :'(

Chapter 13

My eyes shoot wide open, and before I know it Toby has launched himself into my arms.

"ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI!" he cries happily, soaking the front of my battlesuit with tears, and I can't help but wrap him into a tight embrace. "I was so scared after you left! I thought you were going to die and that I wasn't ever gonna see you again!"

Stroking his hair, I let no tears stain my own cheeks, but as seconds tick by I know he'll expect me to talk to him soon. To Toby the silent treatment is as good as treating the other person like you don't love them, but I love him too much to do that to him.

_Oh, Hana, give me my voice back, _I plead in my head. _He won't understand if I don't_.

Something in my throat shifts, and when I hum a small buzz comes instead of silence. One of my spell beads begins to tick like a timer, and I take it as the limit of my talk with my brother.

I smile happily and cradle Toby against my uninjured shoulder. "I'm sorry," I murmur. "I'm sorry you were scared. Did you not understand what was going on?" He nods, still sniffling, and I sink to the ground, holding him in my lap. "I didn't either, at first. Everything was very confusing. But you know what? I figured it all out in the end. And it's all going to be okay, I promise."

He looks up hopefully, eyes shining through his tears. "Does that mean you're coming home with me now?" he asks happily. "I'm going home and you are too, right?"

I pull away and set him on the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. I can sense him searching eagerly for a sign of happiness, listening for me to promise I'm going home with him right now.

Without shifting my gaze from the ground, I whisper, "No, Toby."

After a moment…"What?" he asks forlornly. I look him in the eye and grasp his shoulders.

"I'm not coming home, Toby, not yet. I have a job to do now, with these people who helped rescue you. But as soon as I'm finished I promise you I will come home. We could start our dance-offs again, or have another lemonade stand!"

He sniffs and rubs his eyes with his bare wrist. "Why can't you quit and come back now? I miss you! Carson and Mommy and Daddy miss you! Even Nathan misses you! He came by after you went away and said he had really liked you!"

I blush. "Toby, he probably didn't want you to tell me that," I say with a laugh. He grins foolishly. "But maybe it'll make you come home!"

Shaking my head, I ruffle his hair. "I will come home. Just not right now. I need you to tell Mommy and Daddy I'm okay, all right? And the first thing I do when I get back will be to play with you, because I'll be home by your birthday. I promise."

"The minute you get back, we can play? On my birthday, too?" I nod eagerly. "The moment I'm back. Pinky promise." We lock our pinkies, and as my little timer starts speeding up, I give him a huge hug again. "I love you, little bro. I love you so so much and don't you ever forget that."

He plops himself into my crossed legs, content to sit and be with his sister. As my spell bead begins to dim, I begin humming his old lullaby softly in his ear, from a Barbie movie he used to watch with me.

"Sun goes down, and we are here together,

Close your eyes, and let me hold you tight.

Everything that I could ever need is right here in my arms…tonight…

It's magic, when you are here beside me,

Fireflies glow like a thousand charms.

Everything that I could ever need is right here in my arms…tonight…"

He turns to me. "Sing the second part, Ari, please?" I smile, my voice nearly gone, and nod happily.

"La la la, la la la,

Stars begin to climb.

La la la, la la la,

All I need is right here in my arms…tonight…"

I kiss his head, my voice totally gone, and for a long time we sit there hugging each other until a voice beeps on my communicator. I pull up the screen to find Kaldur staring calmly at me. "It's time to send the boy home. We'll put him in the transporter first thing. How are your wounds, Aurora?" I shrug, noting again the burning pain in my left shoulder.

"Ari? Did you get hurt?" Toby screeches! He spots my bloody sleeve for the first time and begins crying. I glare at Kaldur, typing _See what you've done? He was calm five seconds ago!_

Kaldur throws up his hands in protest. "I'm just doing my responsibility," he mutters in defense. "Quiet him down, will you!" I roll my eyes and begin to shut off the screen when he gives a sudden cry of "Wait!" I look back at him, pouring sarcasm over every inch of my face, but our team leader just glares at me. "Did that boy just call you Ari? As in, he knows your real name?"

_Of course, he's my brother, _I type nonchalantly before promptly ending the chat and finding some infirmary clothes to put on Toby before he heads home.

We finally land, and I rush Toby off the ship and into the transporter before anybody can question him. Thinking of our house, I blow him a kiss and press my keycard against the transporter. He sniffles and waves goodbye, his most recent tears still drying on his face…and just like that, he's gone.

I whirl around to find the entire rest of my team staring at me with wide eyes. Crossing my arms, I glare defiantly, braced for anything they have to throw at me.

"Okay…what was that little display of affection?" asks Artemis sarcastically. I glance at Megan, who broadcasts my thoughts through the room.

_That was my little brother Toby, _I tell them. _And I sent him home. What else you got? _"Why the hell didn't you tell us?" mutters Superboy. _Didn't know until I got on the ship. Now if you'll excuse me, I got shot and I should probably bandage it up before the wound gets infected._

When I walk by them, it's the parting of the Red Sea, and my stomach drops. Here, just like back home, I am isolated from the crowd, with only Miss Martian for an ally.

Rushing to the infirmary, I shut the door behind me and pull out some bandages and disinfectant. Washing away the dried blood, I examine the actual wound: not too deep, but the bullet definitely went through the entire shoulder: there's an opening in the front and in the back.

I brace myself for the sting and drip disinfectant on the small hole, cringing at the horrible fire rushing through the wound. I attempt to bandage it quickly, but with only one arm I don't exactly succeed, and I groan in frustration as the cloth just falls apart again.

The door slides open, and Kaldur appears before me. "Need a hand?" he asks calmly. I smile gratefully and offer him the roll of fabric, which he promptly begins to wrap around my shoulder.

"You really don't need to be so stubborn about your brother," he begins. "The team just wanted to understand, that's all. It was unkind of you to snap."

I sigh and nod my agreement, but he isn't done yet. "Don't get impatient with me. I'm just trying to help." Knowing he's right, I nod again and smile an apology, mouthing the words "I'm sorry." He smiles softly. "Apology accepted," he murmurs. Snipping the bandage, he ties it in place. "I think that'll hold. How do you feel?"

My arm is stiff, and I don't have much motion in my shoulder, but otherwise my body feels fine. Walking in a circle to show him I'm fine, I head for the door with thoughts of thanks.

"Hold on," he says quietly.

Something is his tone makes me pause, and I glance over my shoulder to see what he wants. "I meant about your brother," he whispers. "Are you okay with seeing him so suddenly? You didn't get much time with him, and his appearance was quite a surprise." He offers me a whiteboard from nowhere, and I take it, because something is puzzling me.

_I'm alright…what I don't understand is how anyone even got Toby here. If he lives in a different universe, who could even bring him here? And why did they want him?_

Kaldur frowns. "Probably that god who was so angry with you the other night," he mutters. "Gods besides yourself and your mistress can perform inter-dimensional travel, correct?"

I nod and grit my teeth, clenching my fists tightly by my sides. If Corinthes wants to come after me, fine, no problem: I'll take him on. But the minute he messed with Toby, he brought on another powerful enemy- a sister's love. And that means he's going down.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Time is passing by me in a haze. Each day is filled with training, eating, movies, or heading out to the beach. It becomes clear that Toby's rescue was only the second or third mission the team has ever had. It gets boring, and after a while everyone's nastier sides begin to show: we're going crazy, and it's all we can do to fight the boredom.

Kaldur and I often spend time together, battling against each other or just lounging in the grass outside, soaking up the summer sun while he sticks his feet in the ocean. Our conversations cover everything from cookies to the meaning of life, but one of our biggest battles is always the communication barrier. If he makes a joke and I have a comeback, it takes a moment to right it down, and by then the laugh is gone.

My feelings for him are growing every day. I know I shouldn't care for him the way I do, because we're just coworkers on a team, but all the same his voice makes my heart pound and his touch makes my pulse race. The worst part is, I have no idea if he feels the same way.

One of our conversations gave me hope, though. We were watching the clouds above the meadow as we lay in the grass, and suddenly Kaldur asked, "What do you think love is?"

I barely had an answer for him, but I wrote: _Love is a battle. Both sides have to fight to accept it or conquer it…sometimes both. Often mistakes and treachery end in attacks with the strongest weapons- but if there are survivors, they find and support each other._

He nodded. "That makes sense." Shifting his gaze to my face, he looked straight at me and murmured, "Love is a mystery. It makes no sense when you're in it, but when you reach the end, you see every step you took along the way." He ran his fingers through a strand of my hair, gold in the sunlight, and closed his eyes as he rubbed the silky strands.

I had no words: the sun muddled my thoughts, blurring everything but the rush of emotion I felt at Kaldur's obvious trust in me…but if he loved me, I couldn't tell. It seemed like a romantic move, but then he started talking about battle techniques, and just like that we had gone back to our old rhythm. He drives me crazy and I make him feel like he has a friend.

Superboy's temper is growing worse and worse. He attacks everyone over the littlest things, like when dinner is a few minutes late or he thinks someone invaded his room when nobody even touched the door.

This morning, things were pushed off the edge.

"Who changed the channel?" Superboy yelled, his voice raging through the base. "It was on my wrestling when I left and it sure isn't anymore!" We all filed into the living room to see what the hell he was talking about, and sure enough, rainbow pony toys were dancing around onscreen.

He cast a fiery glare over us all. "Somebody better confess, or I'll smash you all into little pieces!"

Megs stepped forward. "Superboy, calm down! Nobody changed your channel, it's probably just a commercial!" He looked at her and shouted "Shut up!" before swinging his fist around at her, barely missing her head. Her eyes widened, shocked that he would attack her, and we all take a defensive stance.

"Leave Megan alone, Superboy. She has nothing to do with it. We are all your friends here. Don't do something you'll regreat," Kaldur says in a calm, steely tone. "Now lower your fists."

Superboy whirled around and looked straight at me. "She isn't," he muttered. "I bet she changed the channel on me."

Without warning, he rushed straight at me and attempted to drive his fist into my gut, but I leaped and used some wind to stay up there. He climbed after me, digging his fingers into the wall, and I raced out into the corridor and up outside the base. We were not having a war inside.

He burst through the ramp, and grass flew as he ripped it up with his feet, rocketing towards me at superhuman speed. The rest of the team chased after him, arriving just as I hit him with a water ball, blinding him so he missed his target.

"Keep him busy, Arrietty! We'll cool him down as soon as we can!" Artemis shouted across the meadow. I shot her a sarcastic look of thanks before leaping again as Superboy's fist smashed into the spot where I had just been.

Pulling up some seawater, I wrapped him tightly in a cyclone and pinned his arms to his sides. He struggled, but he couldn't escape the writhing, swirling bond of water. "Let me out! LET ME OUT!" he bellowed, his face red with fury.

Instead, I promptly walked up to my trapped victim and slapped him hard across the face.

He remained there, frozen, his face tilted to the side as a red mark spread across his already flaming cheek. Slowly, I backed up a few steps and released him, dropping the salt water onto the beach. I was wary of him and kept my distance, but he just stood there, as if in dumb shock.

I turned to my teammates, unsure of how to react, but all of them simply stood there, dumbstruck. From day one, it was important to keep Superboy quiet, and here I had slapped him with all my might.

After a moment, he glared at me and spat at my feet before walking back into the base, fists clenched.

That was my morning in a nutshell. I took off and went searching for Saterina and Paae, so now here I am at my friends' apartment. Knocking cautiously on the door, I look around for any signs that might give away that I have the right place, but nothing in the hallway or the WELCOME mat screams Faerie.

But when the door opens, I know my hunch was right: Paae's friendly face and burned hair appear before me. "Ari, what the fuck? Why are you here?" Instead of a response, all I can offer is me bursting into tears.

She pulls me into the apartment and shuts the door, wrapping me in a hug. "Come on Ari, what's wrong?" she asks quietly. All that come are tears, even though I want to be able to give her an answer, but even my thoughts are in turmoil.

Saterina walks in. "What's with her?" she asks, pointing to me. In my vision, her black and red form is blurred and eerie, and I pull away from her, momentarily terrified.

Finally, I choke out a garbled response in my head, unsure of how to word it. _I think I'm in love with Kaldur and Superboy is trying to kill me and I can't speak to anybody and it's driving me crazy! I can't stand it anymore! I'm such a total mess! On top of that, Corinthes kidnapped Toby and I have no idea if my family is even safe, because they obviously weren't a couple months ago!_

Saterina slaps my face and shakes my shoulders hard. "GET A GRIP! Now!" I stick my tongue out at her and cease my tears, drying my face with a paper towel she hands me.

Paae pats the back of my hand. "You know what you need? You need a distraction. Cantir's ceremony is this weekend- we're leaving Thursday night and will be back Monday morning. Would you like to come? It's basically watching the couples get married and then a three-day party! It'll be fun!"

Her friend agrees with her, nodding eagerly. "And honored guests perform for the rest of the kingdom! Like a live concert! You could get your voice back for a little while, if the Faerie Queen invites you to sing."

My voice…oh, how I want it. I want to end this whole stupid mess and find the voice and kill Hana and go home and maybe never see Aqualad or Superboy or the rest of the team ever again. Slowly, I nod, content to run for at least a few days. Smiling, they begin to fawn and plan while I head for the bathroom.

Staring at myself in the mirror, a reflection of Kaldur's eyes appears where my own should be, and I pound my fists against the counter. I can't get him out of my head! Everywhere I look, I see him, wish he was there to give thoughtful insight or make a witty remark. Every time we touch, I feel a rush of heat and my pulse races. Every time we face each other in battle, I sense his eyes on me, watching my thoughts, his battlesuit clinging to him as we exchange friendly banter.

Maybe I won't come back from the Faerie world. Maybe I'll just stay there and see if they come looking- and if he doesn't, I'll find my voice on my own.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Back at base, I approach Batman, who has come to monitor today's session of training.

"You want something, Aurora?" he asks calmly. I nod and offer an electronic keyboard, on which I have typed my message.

_I've received orders from my mistress. There's trouble brewing in the world of the Fey. Her servants will transport me there and back to conduct negotiations between the gods of Kasa and chosen representatives of the Queen. I will return in three days, otherwise she suggests the team look for a response from me, as my return is not guaranteed._

He glares at me, his arms crossed. "If your return is not guaranteed, the team will be traveling with you."

Momentary panic flits through me, but an excuse comes as readily as it would if I were lying to my parents, and I type as quickly as I can. _Naturally, that would be your response. But I've been given specific orders and I am not to disobey them. If you want team members to accompany me, you'll have to take it up with Hana._

He cringes, and I know I've won. With their unknown, unmentionable history, there's no way Batman will want to confront Hana.

"Fine then. Leave tomorrow morning. If you have not returned to base in 72 hours, the team will follow the signal from your communicator and aid your escape from danger."

He turns away, angry at my victory, and I head out of the room with a grin. If he only knew the reality…but he doesn't, and that's fine by me. I head straight to my room to pack.

About half my wardrobe gets tossed into my suitcase: I can come back for the rest later, but I'll definitely need enough to party in, plus something more formal for the probable performance. The ceremony, too. What do you wear to a courtship ritual, anyway? I'll have to call Saterina and Paae again.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely hear the knock on the door until it grows into a huge banging noise. Startled, I slide it open to reveal Megan and Superboy standing in the doorway.

I leap back, immediately defensive, and Megan frowns. "See what you did? Now go on, say it."

He growls. "Say what?" She slaps his arm. "Apologize. NOW." He just glares at her and whirls around at me. "Fine. I'm sorry you're such a bitch and that you have to go around pretending you don't like people when you're madly in love with Aqualad and it's totally obvious. I'm also sorry you have such an ugly face." Megan stares, horrified and obviously ready to kill him.

I clench my fists. _Control…control…soon you'll be gone. _I just slam the door in his face and stalk back to my suitcase, seething with rage and my blood boiling. That idiot thinks he can just knock on my door and insult me and get away with it?

My fingers brush my spell beads, and a horrible, wonderful thought comes into my mind. Hana _did _say I should use them for pranks, so why not make Superboy pay? Dirty ideas rush through my mind- should I humiliate him somewhere public, or do it in the night and wake up to hell? Where do I even start? The list of tricks I could pull is endless, and new ones just keep popping up.

Another knock on the door interrupts me, and I grip my beads, ready to use one if it's Superboy come to insult me again. Sliding it open, I prepare to hurl it with all my might, but it's only Kaldur. As soon as he spots the bead, he grabs my hands to prevent my throwing it. "Don't do it, Arrietty. It's just me."

I smile with relief and attempt to lower my arms, but Kaldur doesn't let go. I still my limbs and let my wrist go slack in his grip, but he doesn't get the message.

Suddenly, I sense him drawing ever closer to me, and panicking, I pull away. _No,_ I plead in my mind. _Don't love me right when I'm about to leave you. Please don't do it, don't kiss me. _

Yet, at the same time, I've wanted this moment to come. I've been praying for a kiss for weeks, and my heart races under his cool touch. His ice-blue eyes, focused and distant at the same time, rest on my lips, and I freeze, my breath short and fast, waiting for him to make a move.

After long moments, his eyes refocus and he releases me. "Sorry," he mutters. "Lost my train of thought. May I come in?" I nod and stand aside, shutting the door behind him.

"I heard what Superboy said to you," he says, his eyes flashing. "I'm disgusted with him. But I wanted to know…are you all right? He insulted you in a pretty nasty way."

I nod and wave him off, shrugging my shoulders to give the impression that it bothered me less than it did, but he doesn't seem fooled. "Arrietty. Don't just shake it off. If his words really offended you, we need to solve this problem before it affects the team dynamic…and before he pounds you."

I Sighing, I pull out my communicator and type what I can. _Yeah, it bothered me, but I can deal with him. We'll figure this out. The rest of the team doesn't need to get involved. _

He nods. "Makes sense. No reason for anybody else to get punched because he's mad at you. But Arrietty…I have to know…"

_Oh no_, I think. _Please please please don't ask. Don't bring it up. Don't even mention it. Please don't say anything. _

He glances sheepishly at me. "Superboy was yelling about you being madly in love with me. Is that true?"

Color rushes to my cheeks, and I turn and leap into my swinging chair to keep him from spotting the blush on my cheeks. _I don't have to answer that, _I snap onto the computer screen, and he laughs. "Okay then, but I'm going to ask another time, so you better be ready."

Collapsing on the bed, he sighs and gazes at the ceiling, flat on his back. "Your bed is comfortable," he says cheerfully. "But I hear you're leaving it for a few days."

I nod and bite my lip, slipping my hands into my pockets. Is he mad? Disappointed? I can't tell from his tone.

He continues to stare straight up. "Why can't we go with you? You'll have a tough time on your own." He tosses me a whiteboard and marker from nowhere, but I show him the same electronic message I gave to Batman, and he frowns.

"I don't like it. What if you don't come back? We could come after you, but by then it would probably be too late for us to help. The team should follow you, just to be safe." I shake my head and type on my screen again. _Batman doesn't seem to want to discuss it with my mistress, so you'll be staying here. Don't worry, I'll be fine- I've got last resorts if necessary. _I hold up my jangling spell beads, flashing blue, and finally he shifts his gaze to me.

Frowning, his eyes flash with lightning as the deep gray storms and stews. "Don't you dare tell me you'll be fine. This is a dangerous mission and you know it. If something happens to you, I'll be responsible." I frown. _How will you be responsible? Batman is the one who gave me permission to go, and Hana ordered me in the first place…shouldn't the blame go to them? _

He frowns. "I suppose…but I would still hold some responsibility. As team leader and as your friend, I shouldn't let you march off to your death."

I plop down next to him on the bed, lying on my back with my hands on my stomach. _If it makes you feel any better, my Faerie handmaidens will be with me. They'd die to save me if it came to that. _

Smirking, he nods. "I suppose that helps," he murmurs. "But I still don't like it."

Without thinking, I reach over and take his hand. _If I'm not back in three days, you can come get me- but everything's going to be fine either way. Glad to hear you'd miss me if I died._

He squeezes my hand. "Absolutely, Arietty," he says calmly. "You don't forget people you care about."

My breath stills and my pulse races as his grip on my hand doesn't loosen. His eyes are closed, his face peaceful as our fingers remain locked, tangling from both of us moving at once. I want to spill it all, to tell him everything I feel whenever he's around, but the words don't come, and I can't bring myself to interrupt his serenity.

All my emotions surface, and for a moment only turmoil clouds my mind. There are so many things I want to do at once I don't even know which one to choose, but finally I settle in a calmer region of my mind and let sweeter nature take over.

Gently, I lift our tangled fingers and press his hands to my lips before smiling at him. _It'll be okay_, I want to tell him. _We'll be okay_.

He smiles back, and surprise flits through his eyes before he simply grins and squeezes my hands tighter. "Come back, alright?" he asks softly. I nod happily, and for a long time we lie there, hands entwined as we soak in each other's gaze.

A great knocking bangs on the door, the rumble of the metal echoing through the room, and we do a double-take, quickly releasing each other and leaping to our feet. Kid Flash appears in the doorway. "Batman says you gotta go, A. Your friends are out front." He shifts his gaze to Aqualad. "Oh, hey Aqualad. What are you doing in here?"

Kaldur glances at me. "Just saying goodbye," he says calmly. "We'll come for you in three days, understand? Whether you need us to or not."

I nod cheerfully, glad that maybe, at last, Kaldur and I are on the same page.


	16. Chapter 16

HUZZAH! MORE EVEN THOUGH NOBODY READS IT!

Chapter 16

I heave my suitcase onto my shoulder and head out to the meadow, the soft breeze causing strands of hair to tickle my face. Saterina and Paae hover above, their wings fully extended and their bags dangling from their arms. "Hey, Ari! Let's go! We're late already!" Saterina calls, waving frantically.

The rest of the team, minus Superboy, stands at the edge of the ramp. "Hey, good luck! See you soon!" Artemis says cheerfully. Miss Martian gives me a hug and a big smile. "Good luck with your negotiations! We'll come find you in a few days if you start having too much fun. And don't worry, I'll make Superboy apologize when you see him again." I smile and nod. Robin and Kid Flash hug me quickly, but Saterina clears her throat impatiently, so I head over to them.

Saterina lifts my bag as I grip Paae's arms, and just like that we're airborne. I catch a last glimpse of my teammates waving at me, Kaldur just emerging from the base, and then my view is blocked by clouds.

_So…where are we headed? _I ask in my mind.

The pair of them grin. "Home!" They say simultaneously. Paae laughs and continues. "It's the palace of the queen. It's technically underground, but you have to fly through the clouds because that's the only way it's visible- hidden from mortals unless they spot it through the clouds."

Nodding, I suppose it makes sense. _Sounds cool. Will the two of you have to do your jobs as handmaidens while you're there, or will somebody stick around to help me not get lost? _

They both laugh again. "No worries. The Faerie Queen has at least a dozen different handmaidens. If we have to go, it'll be one at a time anyway."

"Well, I'll definitely have to leave you during the main ceremony," Saterina says cheerfully. "I'll be getting married with you two as my witnesses!" I smile. _Congratulations_, I think. _Is Cantir nice? _"Well…not exactly nice…but he's really cool! Think Superboy, but with people skills."

I grimace and squinch my face. _Great. Does he like punching as much as Superboy? _She sticks her tongue out at me. "Think what you want. I still love him." She glances down. "Hey, there's the palace! Paae, dive!"

We plunge towards the earth, and suddenly I'm horizontal and approaching a rocky mountain at about 200 miles an hour. I cling to Paae's arms, my mouth open and screaming silently, and I shut my eyes tight when we crash straight through an opening in the mountain.

The light outside grows extremely bright, then dims back to normal, and when I open my eyes I'm amazed. A huge tree stands in the middle of a grassy, circular field. Each section of leaves is a different color, representing what they would look like in every season: green, lime, orange and red dot each branch. The grass is the same, divided into quarters: one for each time of the year.

Suddenly, a new sensation hits me: total and utter connection with the tree. Everything seems familiar, and my heart beats in time with the twirling leaves and the growing roots. Nature surrounds me, the vines dangling from the shining black rocks are the walls and decorations of my own home. The great opening above me leading to the sky is just the ceiling, changing colors through night and day.

Everything about my team, my family, and my voice flees my mind. All I want is to stay here forever, in this warm, safe underground world. "This is amazing," I whisper. "I feel like I belong here."

Paae's eyes widen. "Ari! You just talked! Like…with sound!" I blink and glance up at her. "Did I? Wonderful. Maybe here I'm safe from that woman…what's her name again?"

Saterina glares at me. "You sound stoned. Did you hit your head on a rock on the way in here?" she asks, worry creeping into the edges of her voice. Paae nods her agreement, but I just sigh. "Nope. I'm fine- better than ever! Everything here feels so natural…I'm just connected to it all," I say happily.

My friends roll their eyes. "Well, as long as your team doesn't come before we get you back, I'm sure everything will be fine. Let us show you to your room, okay? The ceremony starts really soon so you should probably change. Dressy-casual, okay?" Paae says happily.

We land in front of a palace, made of a deep green stone the same color as the spring leaves on the great tree, and walk inside. "This is the Queen's palace," Saterina explains. "We'll give you a tour later, but the ceremony starts at sundown, which is in an hour, and I need to get ready. See you later!" She waves cheerfully as she takes off down a hallway to our left while Paae and I head right.

After what feels like miles of stone hallway, we finally arrive outside three glowing white doors. "You're in the middle, with Saterina and I on either side. Holler if you need anything, okay? Dress fast!"

I step inside the room and immediately like it. A large bed covered in fluffy blue and white comforters and pillows sits in the middle, and when I drop my bag onto it it wavers. I test it with my hand and grin: water bed. Nice touch.

The rest of the room is decorated in accents of white, ivory and gold: no electronics, but everything feels more open and roomy: far more my style than the box at the...other place.

A soft breeze brushes my cheek, and I look up and gasp with pleasure. French windows with pale gold curtains lead to a marble balcony, and when I walk out I have a direct view of the meadow. Things I hadn't noticed upon arrival catch my eye: Chairs settled about the tree. Lights glowing as they are hung around the edges of the circle. A great platform resting on the border of the spring and summer sections of grass. Most of all, I see hundreds of Faeries flitting to and fro around the circle, setting out refreshments and playing test samples of music. Their wings flash different colors in the late afternoon sun, and it seems each one has a different set of colors belonging to them. It's like a rainbow, glittering in the sky, but around a tree instead.

Paae knocks at my door. "Ari? Ari, are you ready?" I freeze, braced against the balcony railing, still in my jeans and T-shirt.

"Um…just a minute!" I call rapidly, unzipping my bag and digging through it. Dressy-casual…dressy-casual…where did all my freaking skirts go?

Paae's knock comes again, a little louder. "Hurry up, Ari! We need to go now to get good seats! Have you even changed yet?" I cheer silently as I pull out a dark green skirt and light green top and throw them on. My current flats will work with the outfit. Paae begins to open the door just as I toss my dirty clothes in my bag and zip it up. "Yeah, ready now! Let's go!" I say cheerfully. She rolls her eyes and gestures for me to follow her down the hall.

Again, I take note of my surroundings and attempt to remember how to get from my room to the front door: two lefts and a right, I think. Or is it two rights and a left? I'm not sure…this whole place fogs my mind a little.

Stepping back outside the palace, we need walk only a few feet before being swarmed amid the throngs of Fey spread around the circular meadow. The tree rises above them all, at least forty or fifty feet tall, and we begin to squirm and punch our way through the crowd. "The Queen will have reserved a few rows for staff," Paae calls back. "You have to get there early to beat the other maids and serving boys, but they really are great seats."

Suddenly, the crowd emits a huge cheer, and I'm nearly crushed by a sea of roaring bodies. Couples, teens and adults alike, march out onto the circle, emerging from the roots of the great tree. Each is covered in war paint and carries some sort of weapons.

We finally arrive at our seats, and I plop gratefully into the chair in order to avoid being swept away by the crowd. "Why are they dressed like they're going to kill each other if it's a marriage ceremony?" I ask Paae above the din.

She leans in so I can hear her. "It's kind of a weird ceremony. Each woman chooses the man she wants to fight, and when the horn sounds they battle. If the woman wins, they get married. If the man wins, he can either agree to marry the woman or choose a different bride."

The couples face each other in two rows, and I spot Saterina with her back to us covered in red and black stripes, wearing a tight black battlesuit and sporting a machete. Paae points at the boy across from her. "That's Cantir," she tells me. "Our friend's beloved."

He's pretty handsome, in a rugged sort of way. Whitish-blond hair is gelled up into spikes and held back with a black bandana and blue paint spread all over his face. His wings sprout from a leather jacket with slits in the back, but with camouflage pants under it. He hefts a sword in his arms, his face sarcastic and determined.

A hushed silence descends over the crowd as a figure dressed in gold appears on the stage, and I suck in a breath: this must be the Queen. I have to admit, she looks very regal up on that stage, with servants flanking her sides and her rich dress trailing down the steps behind her. She smiles and holds out her hands. "Friends! Tonight we celebrate the marriage of lovers and the joining of life! This calls for great celebration, and so for three days and nights, a great festival will be held!"

The crowd cheers, but she gestures, implying that she has more to say. "I am also aware that a special guest joins us for these festivities: the apprentice of a goddess is among us! Welcome her as though she were your own!"

Blood rushes to my face as I realize she means me, and I shrink into my chair. Hushed whispers spread among the crowd, as though shocked I would be here. The Queen's gaze finds me, and she sends a formal smile my way before swishing her hair and gazing upon them all again. "Let it begin!" she cries, and one of the heralds next to her blows on a golden horn, emitting a long, low note.

The pairs of men and women rush at each other, and the cheering begins again as weapons clash and glint in the bloodred light of the sunset.

I try to keep my eyes on Saterina and Cantir, but there are too many other couples in the way. Still, as women and men fall and their partners pin them, my view becomes less obstructed.

I notice that when a woman pins a man, they go straight to the platform where the Queen waits, and sometimes this is true for the male victors as well. But a few men, the ones who maybe didn't want to fight that woman, go into the crowd and re-emerge with a different woman, approaching the Queen with their new partner as their defeated opponent lies on the ground. I pity the women this happens to: imagine showing someone you love them, and they choose someone else in front of the rest of your population.

One by one the couples finish and head to the altar- except for Saterina and Cantir. Their fighting just keeps going, sword versus axe, neither of them able to top the other. The crowd's roaring grows louder, calling for a victor, for injuries, and I cheer along, hoping for Saterina to win. The impact of their weapons against each other is so great that I can see flakes of paint coming off their faces with each hit.

After what feels like ages, Saterina finally catches a break: Cantir's exhaustion from the fight overcomes him, and with sweat pouring down his body he falls to the ground as his lover whacks him with the flat of her sword. She offers her hand, and he grins and takes it as he rises and goes with her to the altar under the Queen's platform.

Her Highness grins and holds up her hands, commanding silence once again. "Congratulations to our couples! From this day forward, you will be joined through the bonds of love and the gift of life. You are bound together!" As she speaks, deep green vines sprout from nowhere and twine together the arms of each couple. They march away, disappearing again under the roots of the tree to the sound of thunderous applause, and the Queen sweeps her arms wide. "Thank you for coming, great subjects! At dawn, the festivities begin!"

With that, she steps down from the platform, and a general humming echoes against the walls of the great cavern as the Fey return to their homes to rest for the coming party.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Paae and I join the flooding crowds heading back in the direction of the palace. Some flow around it or pass straight through the great hall to the other side, and I shoot a questioning look at my friend. "Most Fey live in houses on the opposite side of the castle," she tells me. "The palace is the main line of defense in case intruders come through the sky opening, but on most nights people just go around it and head home."

Something else itches at the back of my mind, and I moan. "Is there any special reason the Faerie Queen had to mention I was here? And why did everyone have such a weird reaction?"

She sighs. "Can we go over that when we get to your room?"

I turn and point to the three white doors she unconsciously guided us to. "We are at my room. So let's get inside, and then you tell me what's up."

Rolling her eyes, she shoves open the door to the room and collapses into one of the two white chairs by the window. "Close the door," she says calmly. "I'm not supposed to tell you a word of this, but since I'm going to, it's best nobody finds out." I immediately obey and take a seat across from her, leaning forward eagerly.

After a few minutes of silence, she begins. "A couple hundred years ago, gods and Fey were on good terms. Your mistress and this same Faerie Queen were the most powerful women in the universe, as well as being best friends. Nothing could separate them, not even royal conspiracies or trouble amongst the gods. About 300 years ago, though, something changed- the Queen and Lady Hana fell in love with the same man."

I gasp, but she goes on. "He was mortal- that made it even worse. He was an incarnation of Batman, actually, but since he wasn't immortal neither woman could really have him. Unfortunately, he chose your mistress, and the Queen just couldn't forgive her. She cursed the man: he wouldn't live forever, but every time he died and was reborn, he would remember all the other lives he had had. Every bad and good memory, every dead family member, every wish and regret would be permanently etched in his mind. It drove him mad…so mad he found it difficult to stay with Hana knowing she wasn't able to make it stop. Your lady never forgave the Queen, and her Highness will never apologize, so it's caused a lot of tension between the gods and the Fey. That's why the crowd had such a strange reaction: they're amazed that you came when your mistress is who she is, let alone that you're here at all."

I lean back in my chair. It certainly makes sense, and it explains the tension between Batman and Hana as well as the Queen's eerie announcement of my presence. If it comes to it, I can use my powers and spell beads to defend myself, and with two of the Queen's handmaidens working in my defense I'm hoping I'll survive this party. It's only three days. How hard could it be?

Memories of my team come rushing back. My first half-day down here is up…two more and they'll be on their way to rescue me, if they can even find this place. I'm confident I'll live, but the thought of them coming is a comfort.

Saterina bursts in, grinning wildly. "Today is the best day of my life," she declares happily before plopping down on my bed. I laugh. "Why? Because you're finally joined-for-eternity to your charming Cantir?" She grins and laughs. "Yes indeed! Only we're not totally joined yet…maybe that's where you two can help me." She blushes dark red, her grin never fading, and I roll my eyes.

"Count me out," I say. "The very thought of what you're implying creeps me out." The two of them laugh, and Paae smiles at our friend. "I'm not sure what you'd need help with, but I can help you pick an 'outfit', if that helps. Please tell me it's not happening in your room, because then Ari will be able to hear you, and I doubt she'll appreciate that her first night here."

Saterina sticks her tongue out at us. "Of course not!" she snaps, her wings fluttering lightly. "I'm going to his place. His sister's with a friend for the night, so he's got the house to himself. That's why I need help…I need to wear enough to fly through town while wearing as little as possible."

They laugh together and Paae shoos her out the door, slamming it behind them and leaving me in silence. Leaning back in the chair, I close my eyes and soak it all in: the aura radiating from the tree, the soft clinking of the glass beads on my wrist, the cool breeze blowing from the open window. I have a few hours before bed, and while it might be nice to explore, given the history between goddesses and Fey, I think I'll stay in this nice comfy room and read a book.

I heave myself out of the chair and unzip my duffel bag. I'm just pulling out my book when a sharp rapping on the door interrupts me.

Yanking it open, I expect Saterina or Paae, but in front of me stands a tiny girl dressed in white, her silver wings flitting behind her so she can float at eye level. "If you please, milady, her Highness would like to meet with you," she chirps daintily. My senses tingle, every alarm going off, warning me not to go, but I can't seem rude and just decline. "Of course. Should I change?" I ask calmly, not letting my inner panic reach my voice.

The handmaiden shakes her head. "No need, milady. Simply follow me." I smile to myself. _Milady. _I like the sound of it.

Together, we prance off down the hall and up many stairs to the very top of the castle. On the final floor, only one door awaits, but it's easily four times as big as the one to my own room.

I suddenly feel very nervous, and my palms are clammy as the handmaiden knocks on the door. It swings open of its own accord, and I quietly follow the little girl into a massive bedroom, complete with gauzy curtains above the bed and a porcelain bath taking up a whole corner of the room. Another, smaller door is ahead on the right- most likely the Queen's wardrobe.

"Come forward, my dear," a soft voice whispers, and I glance around- there's nobody in the room but the handmaiden and myself. "Oh, silly me. I forgot," it says again, and I glance up.

Hovering above me is the Faerie Queen, two of her attendants floating by her sides. She lowers herself to the ground, landing daintily before me, and dismissed the three girls with a wave of her hand. They shut the door behind them, leaving us in a puffy white silk wonderland.

"Have a seat, my dear. Would you like some tea and cookies?" she asks cordially. I nod, my stomach rumbling: I haven't eaten since breakfast. She serves it up herself, insisting that although she's royal she knows how to prepare a simple tea tray, and I smile. I like her already.

She gestures to a fluffy white ottoman at the foot of the bed, and herself reclines in the matching chair as I take a seat. "Now then, your first question is probably about your voice. The quest for it is a tradition I despise amongst the gods, so I've returned it to you. You will have use of it as long as you remain here. Have a cookie, dear, it won't harm you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is very kind of you to give me this gift although I am a guest in your kingdom," I say, carefully choosing my words. She waves her hand. "It's no trouble," she tells me. "Although I hope you will do something for me in return."

I nearly choke on the cookie, but manage to salvage my dignity and swallow without spewing crumbs all over the Queen. She smiles gently. "Not to worry, dear, it's nothing horribly painful. It's simply that here in the Faerie world, we also value beautiful voices- the stronger your singing, the more power and status one has. I hear your voice is most exceptional- in fact the very reason that…_woman_…wanted you as an apprentice. I hope you will sing for us at the festival. It would be an honor to have a goddess perform."

Smiling, I nod eagerly. It will be wonderful to sing again, and perhaps this is how the Queen intends to offer an olive branch of peace in the direction of the gods. "If your Majesty wishes it, I will sing at the party," I say contentedly.

She grins and claps her hands like a small child. "Oh, marvelous," she squeals. "Your mistress will be so pleased…as will my son. He's about your age, you know, and he possesses a fantastic voice. Perhaps the two of you could sing a duet. Yes, we'll do that. But where are my manners! You are our guest! Please, enjoy the first two days of the celebration. I will postpone your performances until the third. Now, if you will excuse me, I need my beauty sleep if I am to be at all presentable for my own song tomorrow. You may take the cookies, if you like."

I rise and bow, clutching the tray of cookies. "Your Majesty is very kind," I mumble before departing her chamber.

So THAT'S why she wants me to sing. She's trying to hook me up with her son who's probably at least a hundred years old! EEW!

Slipping back into my own hallway, I breathe a sigh of relief when the light under Saterina's door is out: she must have gone to Cantir already. I step into my own room and collapse in the chair, munching the cookies as I watch the glowing lights below in the circle be taken down and replaced with neon decorations, lasers, and speakers: looks like my kind of party. The stars twinkle above in the cloudless, deep blue sky, and I blow a kiss up towards my team before grabbing my book and reading it start to finish, the cookies in my lap and the almost-full moon giving me light.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sometime in the night, I crawl into the huge fluffy bed, still in my skirt and fancy top, and fall right to sleep. Dreams flit through my mind, little bits and pieces of abstract color and sound, and soft music plays through the montage.

Suddenly, everything flashes and goes black, the music cut off. Only silence fills the void.

I brace myself, sinking into a defensive position, and slowly turn around, but I can't see anything in any direction. Cold, low laughter rings in my ears, and I hear the sound of a switch being flipped before a single spotlight clicks on a few hundred feet from me. Silence presses in around the buzzing of the white light, and I step cautiously towards the light when the laugh comes again.

"Foolish girl. You think you are safe," a familiar voice chuckles. I grimace and leap away from the light as a man's figure steps into the glaring white spot.

Corinthes grins at me, cloaked in the blue of the sea, his fish tail dark black in the shadows. "You think you can run from that team of yours and be freed? You think because you liberated your brother I won't get him again? Oh, how wrong you shall be," he hisses.

His smug expression throws me. He names every person I care about in the world, besides Saterina and Paae, yet he seems to have no connections himself.

Something clicks in my mind. If I pretend to be like a goddess and not care about anyone or anything, he'll focus on me and leave everybody else alone. I wipe all expression from my face and straighten, stepping into the spotlight as I emerge from the darkness.

Corinthes leaps, surprised by my sudden appearance, and it becomes clear that he is more afraid than I: the guy's all talk and no action.

"Why should I be worried whether or not you chase that little boy? It's none of my business what you do to those ridiculous mortals," I say calmly, my hands folded behind my back. I cross my fingers and offer a silent apology to Toby, knowing I don't mean the words.

The god glares at me, shocked. "But…he is your family. Your love pours into him," he stutters, unhinged by my apathy towards my brother.

Words pour out of my mouth before I can regret them. "Naturally, I am related to them by blood, and therefore there is a mildly stronger connection. But I am immortal. I will soon be a goddess. It is better to sever all ties with mortals if one is to experience the full potential of one's power."

He blinks, and I smile to myself. With only a few lying sentences, I have destroyed his only weapon against me, and he bought every word of it.

He snarls and spits to the side. "Well then…as long as I've got you here, I may as well take you down now." Orbs of water swirl in his hands, but I rip chunks out of the floor and heave them, breaking his fingers with little more than a flick of my wrists. The lovely sounds of bone crunching and cracking is music to my ears, and I grin, commanding more stone from the ground to hover and prepare to hit Corinthes again.

Air swirls around me, the sweet smell of grass blowing through my senses. A door in me bursts open, nature flooding through every pore and cell in my body, and I've never felt so connected to my powers. My vision changes, and suddenly all the colors change- new shades of white appear, the spotlight a rainbow of colors, and I can see all the light particles blending to become white. The darkness beyond me is a thousand varieties of gray. The world is clearer than it's ever been. My hair drifts and floats as though spread in the bathtub, and suddenly it hits me…this is what Hana looks like. This must be what she feels day after day, hour after hour, as her total connection with nature blends with her normal life.

I moan at the beauty of the feeling. Pure elation swirls through my veins, and I haven't a care in the world. All negative thoughts flee my mind, and my daydreams of returning to my family and loving Kaldur rush into being.

Catching a glimpse of myself on the shining floor, I gasp: I look just like Hana as well as feeling like her. My hair is glowing white, my clothes the palest possible shades of green. Corinthes promptly begins launching a barrage of water shots as soon as he thinks I'm distracted, but I wave them away without breaking my gaze. Could I really be this powerful?

One of the water bullets hits its target and brings me rocketing back to reality. Corinthes needs to be dealt with right now, and I clench my teeth at the force as another shot crashes sharply into my thigh. They hurt more than I would expect them to, but it's nothing compared to the pain he'll feel for challenging me.

I deflect the orbs and run straight at him, leaping and connecting my knee with his ribs. He gasps, his breath cut short, as I continue to bombard him with chunks of the floor surrounding him. He fights to stand, to catch his breath, but I keep hitting him hard. Bruises develop on his arms, his tail, his torso, and his cloak is ripping from the weight of the plaster shredding the fabric.

_A few more chunks_, I think to myself, trying to strategize…and finally, it works. There's not enough floor under Corinthes, and I jump back as I hear the crack. The floor collapses under him, and he yells as he plunges down into the blackness under the spotlight.

I wake with a start, breathing hard, and sit straight up in bed. It felt so real…was it really a dream?

Kicking away the covers, I rise and sit on the edge of the bed, my hair dangling in front of my face. Closing my eyes, I fight to slow my breath as Corinthes' raging face appears behind my eyelids. He already knows he won't get my powers unless he kills me, but he can't reach me in my own head, can he?

My eyes pop open again, unable to focus on the horrors of Kasan power struggles, and I'm attempting to fall back asleep when I spot something that makes my blood run cold.

A lock of my hair- a strip about two inches wide running from my scalp to the tips- is a bright, glowing white.

"Oh, gods," I murmur softly, running my fingers through it. That dream was real- this change is proof of it.

No way am I sleeping now.

Heaving myself back out of bed, I open the doors to the balcony and let the cold night wind snap my hair back and forth, blowing my green skirt around me. The Faerie world glitters in the moonlight, silver and pale blue. Nothing is as crisp as it was in my dream, but it's beautiful just the same.

A few scattered Fey are finishing up the last decorations for the three-day party. Some sparkles here, a string of lights there, and the platform from earlier tonight now has a microphone and speakers on it.

I swallow as a new worry hits me. I'll have to sing on that stage with the Faerie Queen's son in just two and a half days…but how am I supposed to honor that agreement and get back to the base before the team comes looking for me?

Sighing, I rest my elbows on the marble balustrade and slump. Goddess or no goddess, I'm still just a teenage girl with more on her plate than she can handle. Kaldur would have advice for how to manage the conflict, but since he's far off, I can't really ask him.

The moonlight is cool and refreshing on my face, and I slowly inhale the fresh, crisp air. Nature is of the utmost importance here, the same as with Hana and myself, and while I would feel sorry if the team came and got me for nothing, I have to admit I wouldn't mind just staying down here for a while. The Queen has been hospitable enough, and my friends are Fey already…maybe I could just visit Kaldur every once in a while. I'm immortal, and I can use my voice here already. If I stay, everything is fine the way it is!

Sighing, I climb back into bed. That's not a definite decision, not yet. But with the way things are going here, I'm just fine with staying.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The morning of the party finally arrives, and I leap out of bed full of energy, despite my trouble sleeping. Today, the fun would begin- a new life in a different world.

I run to the window, throwing open the French doors and drawing in a breath of cool morning air. The decorations were finished in the night, neon lights flashing, and some Fey are already down eating and dancing. The opening to the sky has been covered with a square of glittering black cloth, giving the impression of an endless night, and I smile at the prospect of nothing but fun for the next three days.

A sudden whistling makes my ear twitch, and I squint down into the meadow, unsure of what to make of it. Leaning over the edge of the balcony, I see nothing but darkness in the shrubs at the foot of the castle…until the arrow that caused the whistling comes rushing up, aimed right at my heart.

I drop and roll aside, but the arrow still rips the fabric of my sleeve. I glance down, but it didn't graze skin, and I dive inside before another weapon can be fired at me.

Panting, I lean back against the cool glass and listen closely for footsteps outside, but I hear nothing. Paae's words of warning echo in my mind, and I realize why Paae and Saterina sleep on either side of me: it's a protective move for bodyguards as well as friends. They figured I wouldn't see it and have fun, but it's clear that servants of the Queen don't intimidate some assassins. Murder plots are probably floating around the city this very minute.

Another whistling reaches my ears, and I dive away from the window as another arrow crashes into the window and cracks the glass. I hear soft footsteps and wait a few minutes before crawling out and peeping out of the window.

My attacker seems to have fled, but the arrow they shot has driven itself deep into the glass and remains stiff. Nothing happens, so I return to the balcony and attempt to pull it out of the windowpane. No sooner have I grabbed the shaft, though, than an ominous gray gas begins seeping out of the wood, and I pull my shirt over my nose, my vision already spinning. I stumble back inside to find that the tip of the arrow has released the gas too, and my room is quickly filling with dangerous clouds of smoking mist.

I grab my suitcase and run for the door, but the gas makes me so dizzy I see three instead of one. Grasping for a handle, any handle, no contact is made, and as the level of oxygen decreases I fall to my knees, pounding helplessly on the door, screaming for Saterina, Paae, Kaldur, anyone to save me.

Nobody comes and the door remains shut. My vision blackens, and I slump to the floor, my muscles frozen as an effect of the poisonous gas. My grip on the suitcase slackens, my T-shirt falling away from its protective position over my nose and mouth, and I gasp painfully, my chest being stabbed with a thousand needles as I attempt to inhale oxygen that no longer remains.

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and pale, skinny arms drag me into the hallway. I gag and sputter, coughing violently in order to remove the toxic gas from my lungs, and Paae yanks my suitcase out before slamming the door and screaming something at the maids. Faerie soldiers with weapons and cleaning equipment swarm my room mere minutes later, and I lie on my back staring at the ceiling as the blurry world goes on around me.

Paae pulls me to my feet, her arms supporting my weight, and her mouth moves but I hear no words. I shake my head, barely moving it an inch even though it takes all my energy. She hollers at someone behind me, her voice creating an even louder ringing in my ears. It's like a bomb hit me when all I did was inhale gas. My limbs feel heavier than blocks of stone; the world around me buzzes and blurs at the edges. Saterina appears at my side as well, and the two of them gently lift me into the air and carry me down halls that twist and turn until each is the same, and I close my eyes for a moment to avoid getting any dizzier.

When I open them again, the sun shines brightly in my face, and I'm lying in a cheery white hospital bed with blankets tucked underneath me. My clothes from before, which were probably saturated with gas, have been exchanged for a simple white sundress, light and airy as the decorations around me. I test my limbs, and I grimace at how heavy they feel. All my muscles are stiff and asleep. Using my momentum, I swing my legs out of bed and stand only to be rewarded with a pounding headache and a surge of dizziness.

I collapse back onto the cot as the door slides open, and I smile at Saterina and Paae's bright expressions. "Good morning, sunshine!" Paae chirps pleasantly. "Glad to see you're awake! You were out for quite a while!"

I smile again, but even my face feels heavy so I let it go and just say hello. "What day is it?" I ask. Saterina pats my hand. "It's only been twelve hours. There's still two and a half days left of partying, don't worry."

Paae holds up a bottle full of shimmering blue liquid. "We couldn't give you this before because you would've choked, but you should drink it now that you're up. It's medicine; it'll help the effects of the gas wear off."

Obediently, I force my mouth open, and she pours the sparkling concoction down my throat. It tastes like raspberry juice, and I lick my lips eagerly, my energy already restoring. "Can I have some more?" I ask cheerfully, but Paae pulls it away and tucks it inside her sleeve. "Sorry, chica, but it's Faerie wine, stronger than any other drink in the world. An overdose could kill you and I'm not taking that chance. It's good though, isn't it?" I nod happily, and Saterina grins at us both before glancing back at the door. "Not that I don't love you, girl, but my handmaiden shift is starting soon and I need to head to the Queen's chambers," she says forlornly. Shooting Paae a serious glance, she draws her aside and whispers something to her before waving a cheerful goodbye and heading out the door.

"What was that secret chat session about?" I ask Paae curiously. She laughs. "I don't know why she needed to be so secret," she says calmly. "She just told me to stay with you in case the attacker comes back, but that should really be obvious."

I settle back on the cushions. "She's trying not to worry me, I think. But I know now, so it's not like she needs to keep it quiet. Anyway, keep that medicine coming. I have to perform in two days and the Faerie queen is trying to hook me up with her son."

Paae sucks in her breath. "OH man, Prince Jadir? We'd better get you healthy fast."

I wrinkle my eyebrows and glance at her. "Why? I don't want to date him. All I need to do is perform the songs and I'm out of here at the end of the party. What's the big deal about Prince Jamhead anyway?"

She rolls her eyes and her face lights up as she speaks. "Prince _Jadir _is the most attractive Faerie man on the face of the earth, that's the deal. He's the heir to the throne; murder plots have been rolling around since the Queen announced it a few years back. He's got this really cool scar from one of the ones that almost succeeded. Did I already tell you he's handsome? Almost every Faerie girl in the land has a thing for him." "Is he nice?" I ask, curious at Paae's glowing description of him.

She blushes. "Well, he's kind of an introvert, but he's really nice once you get to know him. Unfortunately, he's hot and he knows it. I don't even know how many girls he's gotten in bed for one-night stands, but I'd bet he'd settle down once he found the right one."

I roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. And if YOU just happened to be the one he picked?"

Her face flushes bright blue, then lavender, then just a tinge of red creeps into her cheeks, contrasting with her purple skin. "That wouldn't be so bad," she whispers shyly. "But it can never be. He's the prince and I'm a serving maid. The world just doesn't work like that."

I open my mouth to offer comfort, but my communicator begins buzzing: an incoming call from the team.

I stare at the screen, horrified and unsure of what to do. I can't use my voice, but I don't want them to think I'm in trouble and come down here too soon. At the same time, I want them to have to come find me, to have to care.

An idea comes to me, and I grin wickedly. What if they arrived on the third day of the party? What if they got here and saw me perform?

What if the first time Kaldur hears my voice is through a love song?

It's the only way I can tell him. Singing is my language, my emotions, the way I say the important things. If he could hear, just for a moment, a song sung just for him, he would know how I feel…and all my burdens would be lifted off my shoulders.

Paae reaches for the communicator, but I wave her away. "Let it ring," I tell her calmly. "Let them come."


	20. Chapter 20

IM BACK OH MY GOSH YOU MISSED ME just kidding ill stop ruining the story and let you read now.

Chapter 20

That night, I dream of headquarters. The team meets in the rec room, wearing their casual clothes, so something tells me this isn't an official meeting or mission. Robin, Wally and Artemis lie crashed on the couch, while Megan curls up in the cozy chair and Superboy sits on its arm, his arms crossed and contempt written all over his face. Kaldur stands in the center, hands posed thoughtfully as he considers the team's next move.

Focus snaps back to him when he finally speaks. "This is serious. If she didn't pick up on her communicator she's got to be in some kind of trouble, or it's been taken from her."

Robin stifles a yawn. "Or she was just busy with negotiations. She can't exactly interrupt a peace conference to say hi to us. Can we go to bed now or what?"

Kaldur shakes his head. "Not until we decide a course of action. This is our teammate, and on this team, no one gets left behind unless absolutely necessary."

Megan sighs. "Look Aqualad, I understand why you're worried. But she's only been gone a day and a half and we haven't received any urgent distress signals. I agree with Robin; just because she didn't pick up a few hours ago doesn't mean she won't tomorrow."

Kaldur's face goes stormy. "This is serious. What if she's in trouble and the communicator was taken from her?"

Artemis rises, her hands thrown up in anguish. "You need to stop panicking, Kaldur. She's a teammate. If she was a relative or a civilian, sure, I'd be going straight down to rescue her, but the simple fact is that she's a teammate, and anyone who's on this team knows how to take care of themselves. She'll be back by Monday morning as promised, and it's only Saturday night, so calm down."

Kaldur, clearly agitated, tenses his muscles, and I want to run over and soothe him, tell him I'm all right and that I'll be back just a day late, but he remains frozen in frustration. "And if she dies? If she is in trouble and we can't help her? The longer she stays down there the more likely it is she won't come back."

Superboy rises and shrugs. "So she's gone for a few days, so what? The longer she's gone the less time the rest of us get to spend watching the two of you fawn all over each other without getting anywhere. Just admit you have feelings for her and that's why you want to go searching."

Megan slaps him in the arm, but the comment has already escaped him. A hushed, awkward silence descends over the room, tension spread thick among the team. All eyes rest on Kaldur, who stands silent, clenching one fist while gazing at the ground- this time, frozen with fury.

My eyes pop open, the dimmed morning sunlight from outside streaming into the hospital chamber, and I sit straight up, sore but flexible enough to move without a lot of discomfort. My breath comes in short, ragged gasps, emotion pumping through my veins.

Why couldn't I have slept long enough to hear his answer?

Rubbing my eyes, I spot the bottle of Faerie wine on the table- Paae must trust me enough to leave it here without danger of overdose. I down a quick swig, nothing substantial, and let the taste linger in my mouth before heaving myself out of bed.

Today, I party.

A knock comes at the door, and Saterina and Paae enter cheerfully. "Hey! We got your room cleaned up! Ready to go back and change?" Saterina asks happily. I note that the cheerful attitude is a little overdone, but don't comment and simply nod with a smile.

The two help me back to our rooms, and at our slower pace I finally take the time to examine the palace decorations. Beautiful marble dragons, edged with gold leaf, line the hallways, and the ceilings curve upward into shimmering arches that nearly blend in with the ceiling of the cavern. The tile floors shine, reflecting the walls in their polished, brassy faces, and each door is intricately decorated with its own wooden carving. Some doors are plainer, simply wood and bolts, and Paae and Saterina inform me that they lead to the servants' quarters or to the kitchen. I ask where the royalty stay, only to be informed that all the royal chambers are upstairs.

We've nearly reached our own rooms when a figure appears from nowhere and crosses our path suddenly, causing all of us to trip and collapse in a heap on top of it.

Cloaks and skirts tangle, and we take a few moments to reorganize ourselves before flipping back a square of purple fabric and revealing our attacker.

Paae and Saterina gasp and immediately sink even lower than they already are. "Your Highness," Paae blurts respectfully, stumbling in her words, and I note how flushed her face becomes.

I glance to my left to find the most handsome man I have ever seen staring right back at me. His black hair, shaved down to his head and cut neat and smooth, rests perfectly below a small gold crown engraved with Gaelic symbols. His blue eyes shine with soft shyness and his prominent chin tilts upward in the perfect regal manner. "Arrietty, this is Prince Jadir. Your Highness, may I present the apprentice of the Kasa goddess Hana, Miss Arrietty," Saterina mumbles, and I can practically hear the curses under her words. I doubt she wanted us to meet the Prince right about now, particularly since Paae is now too flushed to possibly be thinking rationally.

The Prince scrambles to his feet and bows elegantly. "It is a pleasure to meet one so grand," he says calmly, salvaging his dignity with a voice smoother than silk. "I am honored to make your acquaintance."

I rise, far less dignified in my hospital gown and unsure of what to do. Saterina mouths the word "curtsy", so I do, fighting to choose the correct words. "The pleasure is all mine, your Highness. I have heard much about you from your mother and from Paae." I bid my friends to rise, and they do, although the color does not fade from Paae's cheeks as she nervously avoids looking at the prince.

His ears prick up at Paae's name, and when he glances at her his gaze softens even further. "Lady Paae. It is wonderful to see you again. The palace has been lacking a positive element since you went away." She smiles gratefully and thanks him, her face now so flushed it has changed to a becoming lavender. Finally they make eye contact, and a flash of energy passes between them. I can sense the heat radiating from both sides, the flashes of lightning escaping their eyes, and I smile softly at their obvious passion for each other.

Saterina clears her throat, and they both jump a little. Prince Jadir glances at his pocket watch and starts a bit. "I must be going. I'm actually very late for an organizational meeting for the celebration." He reverses his gaze back to Paae. "I've missed our rooftop conversations, Lady Paae. Please feel free to join me this evening. I would much desire your company."

With that, he departs, Paae gazing longingly after him until Saterina slaps her. "I'm sorry," she murmurs. "He's just so kind and shy. It's so endearing!" Saterina shakes her head. "I know. I know you care about him. But you have to remember where you stand, how the odds are stacked against you. You are a servant and he is the Prince. And the only way for royalty to marry commoners is…" "…for someone to wish it at the end of the ceremony, I know," Paae agrees sadly. "But it's hopeless, so I'll just put him out of my head."

I pat her shoulder. "If it's any consolation, letting the two of you be together would be my wish," I say eagerly. She brightens. "Well, I doubt that. You'd probably ask to return to your family or something, but it was nice of you to say that anyway. Now come on, let's get you ready to party!"

We run the rest of the way back to our rooms, smashing our way into mine and dumping the contents of all our suitcases on the bed.

"What to wear, what to wear…" Saterina murmurs thoughtfully. I examine her dresses carefully, not wanting to be too risky since she's married, but in the end we all still agree on a spicy red dress that accents the highlights of her skin. Strapless and at least three inches above her knees, but it's a special occasion, so we help her wriggle into it anyway and slip on some sleek black high heels to match. "Can't I have a little jewelry?" she asks desperately, gesturing to the exposed flesh between her neck and her chest. Paae rolls her eyes and rummages through the box on the dresser, clasping a thick black necklace with a ruby chain around her throat. "Satisifed?" she asks sarcastically.

I rummage through Paae's bag until I find the color I'm picturing, and there it is: sky blue, medium length and flowy enough to dance in but tight enough to set off her curves. "You don't need any help catching Prince Jadir's eye, but just in case, let's make sure you look memorable," I say cheerfully, tossing it at her and hunting for jewelry while Saterina covers shoes. I find a sapphire bracelet-necklace pair and clasp them on her neck and arm while she slips into glittering blue flats.

"Now for you!" both of them squeal gleefully, and I sigh. Dressing up for concerts was never my favorite aspect, but dancing can't be too bad, so I open my arms. "Have at it, ladies! There's a silver minidress in my bag that should be alright," I tease, and they squeal again and dive for my suitcase.

"Close your eyes," Saterina orders, and I obey. For several minutes I hear only scuffling and the shifting of fabric before I'm guided into a chair. The two of them run brushes through my hair, and I hear the snaps of several different clips before the cold metal of a pendant settles in the hollow of my throat.

"Alright," Paae whispers breathily. "Open."

I open my eyes and gasp at the sight before me. I never knew I could be this beautiful. The silver of the minidress glitters and glints in the light, reflecting my eyes, and my hair waits half-up and half-down in a swirling golden masterpiece. A simple silver chain leans gracefully against my neck while being pulled down by a square green stone the color of my eyes.

"What do you think?" Paae asks nervously. I whirl around and grin. "I think it's time for us to hit the dance floor," I say cheerfully, and they boo at my bad joke as we flee the palace and join the energetic crowds in the center of the cavern.


	21. Chapter 21

Please note that I do not own Moves Like Jagger or any other songs mentioned, nor am I affiliated with Maroon 5 and I do not possess any of their rights.

Chapter 21

Time passes in a blur of flashing lights and electronic music, live performances mixed in with songs blasting from the speakers. The music envelops my body and entrances my soul, my heart pounding along to the beat. The world vanishes, leaving me wrapped in a cocoon of dance and song. Faces flash by, the Prince, Saterina and Paae, the occasional Cantir or Queen crossing my path, but I barely notice them and lose myself in the music. Crowds push and press around me, but my own bubble of happiness engulfs me, and I lift my hands to cheer the ends of songs, to sing along to others I love, to praise the Queen for the gift of such a party. Why they're up doesn't matter anymore. My pulse races, my movements smooth or sharp but never-ending, my mind blissfully ignorant of all responsibility.

This is my element, here in the music. The moment I hit that stage and sing, the world will be perfect, but I'm also happy here in the dancing, grinding crowd. After a while, young men begin to surround me, ask me to dance, but I accept no offers and flow on the waves of the chords.

After a while, my muscles grow stiff and sore, the effects of the Faerie wine worn off from all my action, and I groan sadly. Saterina appears out of nowhere and drags me off of the dance floor, shoving curious Fey aside as she leads me to the refreshment table. Paae waits with a full cup of something, tapping her feet nervously on the floor before spotting us and sighing with relief. "Thank goodness, you're finally back! I was starting to worry that you weren't ever coming off of that floor."

Saterina frowns. "She probably wouldn't have if it weren't for her medicine wearing off," she says tensely. "You need to stay focused, Arrietty. That crowd is the perfect place for an assassin to stab you and vanish without a trace."

I sigh and lower myself into a chair, wincing at the stiffness of my muscles. Paae hands me her cup, and I gratefully sip the wine, already feeling my body strengthen. "Well I'm not dead, am I?" I ask, gesturing to myself. "Besides, if anything strange happened, I would have noticed."

Saterina smirks. "Oh really? Like how you've been dancing since last night and that you're due to perform with the prince in about an hour?"

Faerie wine sprays from my lips, and I leap to my feet as Paae grabs the cup to make sure no more of it spills. "YOU SAID WHAT NOW?" I nearly scream, tugging nervously at the hem of my dress. The sparkling silver rode up a little too high on my legs. How did I not notice that?

Paae nods sheepishly. "We tried to get you sooner, and so did Jadir and Cantir, but you wouldn't stop dancing. You've been lost for about a day and a half."

I climb on my chair, licking my lips from the overdose of wine, and glance around at the crowd, but I can't make out faces through the bright lights of the stage. "I should find the prince and see what we're performing," I shout down over the noise. "Do I need to change?" Paae shakes her head. "Not for the prince's number, he usually likes pop songs and that's a good dress for those. I don't know for your solos, it depends on what you'll sing. You've got two songs, you know." I gasp. "What?"

Saterina nods. "The Queen was so excited by your reputation that she gave you two songs. So what? Extra performing time for our talented little artist." She glances around. "I think I see the prince. Come on, let's go make sure you talk to him. Because you need to."

Paae blushes and follows us as we take off, striding with confidence around the square field. The great tree looms over us all, Fey and goddess alike, its leaves aglow with lanterns.

Suddenly, a loud gasp runs through the crowd, and Fey begin pointing and staring at the door of the castle. The three of us turn around to see what all of the commotion is about, and because of our side view at first I only see the royal servant and the guards.

Then my team walks through the corridor dressed in battle gear, Kaldur leading them as all of them scan the room without moving their heads. Searching for me.

I let out a tiny squeak and dive behind Paae, who takes her cue and nudges Saterina. The two of them run up to greet my team while I take another shot of Faerie wine to support myself. With all the dancing and the lack of food and the strength of the wine, I feel pretty light-headed, and suddenly all my cares disappear and I continue to walk in the direction of the prince. I can see Jadir's dark head bobbing above the crowd, and I follow it, swaying slightly as I walk.

Tapping his shoulder, I grin as he turns around and laughs. "There you are! My mother and I were getting worried that you would miss your cues."

I give him a fake curtsy and a coy smile. "No chance, my dear. Singing is my passion and I'm not about to miss a chance to do it." He grins and hands me a cup of Faerie wine, which I try not to drink too greedily. "That group of teenagers has really caused quite a stir. Mortals don't usually come to our world. Are they friends of yours?" he asks calmly. I sigh and nod my head. "Yes, they're the team of apprentices I normally work with. They had orders to come find me if I was gone for more than three days, and since it's been that amount of time, here they are."

Jadir scowls. "That's no fun. They're taking you away and we haven't even performed our duet yet!" I laugh and take another sip of wine. "Don't worry. They won't even see me until we're onstage in front of everybody. I'm a good hider." I wink at him and he blushes slightly. "Speaking of which, what song are we singing?" I ask curiously, fighting the urge to turn and see if any team members have spotted me.

He finishes his wine, then shrugs and glances at the ground, his shyness returning as he sobers up. I guess Faeries recover from their own wine a lot faster. "I was unsure. I thought perhaps we could perform something pretty popular but a little old…perhaps Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5, do you know the group? They're actually quite popular down here."

I nod eagerly and continue sipping my own wine, unable to stop drinking the wonderful juice. It slides down my throat like liquid heaven. "Yes, I love that song! You take the male part and I'll take the female featurette?" He grins and nods. "That sounds perfect, milady."

A small yell goes up behind us, and I risk turning around to find Robin pointing in our direction and tugging on Aqualad's shirt. I set down the cup and straighten my skirt. "Time to go!" I say cheerfully. "Got any secret passages into backstage? I think we're on pretty soon."

Jadir nods and grabs my hand. "This way," he mutters softly, cutting a path through the crowd while taking regal responsibility and quietly ordering all he passes to block my team from reaching us. The crowds obey and clog the gap behind us as quickly as we make it, slowing the team down considerably. "Some can fly," I warn him, and he smiles. "Not to worry. We'll arrive by the time they're able to get into the air."

We rush under the great tree and he points to a gap under the roots. "After you," he says politely, and I smile, planting a drunken kiss of thanks on his cheek before sliding down into the tunnel.

He arrives soon after me, face deeply flushed from the kiss. "The blond member of your team looked quite disappointed when you kissed me," he says nervously. "Is there any sort of connection between you two?"

I think quietly for a moment before nodding. "I suppose there is. We've always been very close friends, but I…have feelings for him. I don't know if he feels the same way."

The prince nods. "That would explain his aura- and yours," he says calmly. I tilt my head, gazing curiously at him, and he shrugs. "You both radiate very strong emotion when you see each other," he explains. "It's really quite strong. You must be very much in love with each other if it's so plain in your auras."

My heart stops, then beats too fast. Could Jadir be telling the truth? He seems nice enough, and I doubt he would lie to me, but I can't be sure. Does Kaldur really care for me the way I do? The very thought of us being together sets my mind afire.

I realize I've been staring at the floor a little too long. I glance up, shifting my focus back to the real world, and find Prince Jadir staring intently at me. I brush my hair away from my face and clear my head as well as I can. "I'm not the only one in love," I say teasingly. "I saw the way you and Paae looked at each other in the halls. The two of you are clearly crazy about each other."

He blushes, and I giggle at how similar it is to Paae's reaction to him. "You can tell?" he mutters sheepishly. "I'm madly in love with her, I'm afraid. She doesn't know though, and you absolutely may not tell her. I'm a prince and she's a maid, anyhow. Life just doesn't work that way. My mother insists that I marry a princess or goddess of some sort to bring power to the family."

I pat his knee reassuringly. "Would you like some thoughts? If you ask me, it's your life, not your mother's. You can do whatever you want, and if you love Paae, don't try to hide it. Be plain. Show her that you love her…or you may lose her for good."

His eyes shine, but with hope or fear I can't tell. "Do you really think so?" he whispers. I nod encouragingly. "Absolutely."

He smiles. "You should do the same, then. Though I doubt your young man will be leaving you anytime soon."

A strange buzzing comes over an intercom system, and he pulls me to my feet. "Come. We are the next performance." I obey, taking a microphone from a Faerie helper as we reach the wings, and watch as my newest Fey ally rushes out into the bright white lights of the stage.

Showtime.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Moves Like Jagger, Candyman, Lady Marmalade or A Thousand Years. I am not affiliated in any way with Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera or Christina Perry and do not possess any rights associated with these groups.

Chapter 22

The lights go dark, then lift to blinding white again with highlights of blue. The beat of the drum begins, and I grip my microphone tightly. Butterflies tingle in my stomach as the spotlights illuminate Jadir, frozen in his grip on the microphone. The first verse passes still, uneventful, and he doesn't move except for his lips on the speaker.

The chorus begins, electric guitar slamming out, and suddenly the prince is leaping everywhere, dancing fantastically, driving the crowd wild.

"_Take me by the tongue and I'll know you…_

_Kiss me til you're drunk and I'll show you_

_I got the moves like Jagger, the moves like Jagger"_

Suddenly, I see the side of Jadir that Paae described: the ladies' man. Dozens of young Faerie women crowd the edge of the stage, screaming his name and clawing at his clothing whenever he walks by, and he winks and holds their hands, kneeling on the stage to greet his fans. His hips thrust out, his spins perfectly timed, and he points at someone in the audience and gestures for them to come up and join him.

Whoever he chose doesn't come, and he looks slightly disappointed, but suddenly the second chorus is ending and I have to join in. I hum quickly into the microphone, still in the wings, then force the butterflies to back down and march confidently out onto the stage.

The look on Kaldur's face when he glances up is priceless. Total and utter shock, written all over his features, spreads rapidly as his eyes widen and his jaw goes slack, and I grin into the microphone as I sway suggestively onstage. The lyrics are just dirty enough to keep him guessing.

"_You wanna know…_

_How to make me smile…_

_Take control, own me just for the night!_

_And if I share my secret,_

_You're gonna have to keep it._

_Nobody else can see this…"_

I strut confidently across the stage, swinging on Jadir's arm and joining him in playful battle. He approaches, but I push him away, again and again, until finally he gives up and sings his part again. I let out the occasional note, losing myself in the beat again, dancing on and on until the beat stops and I freeze, panting heavily, and the lights dim.

The crowd goes wild, applauding thunderously, and I resume a normal position, as does Jadir. The lights come back up, and I laugh ridiculously, the Faerie wine still flowing through my system. The prince tugs on my hand and I offer a shallow curtsy before pulling him into a hug. When I pull away, the blood has rushed to his face again, so to split our connection I step further back and gesture to him, urging the crowd to applaud for him. The waves of Fey respond, cheering and hollering, and I clap along for him as well. He's really a very good singer.

Prince Jadir reflects my move and gestures to me, and the crowd loses it. Stamping feet and instruments join the normal applause and shouts, and I bow courteously. The roaring cheers fill my ears, the lights blinding any sense of fear or responsibility, and I sigh. I never liked recording studios, but the stage suits me just fine. I press a kiss on my fingers and wave to the crowd, and some of the young men leap at the location where I waved.

I focus on my teammates, finding each of them in the crowd, and smile at them all. Wally nods approvingly, his eyes a little too intrusive, and I tug at the hem of my dress while Jadir bows again. Artemis and Robin begin pounding Kid Flash, and I grin, continuing my search. Megan flies over the crowd, smiling and giving me a thumbs-up. She sends me a telepathic message, but I can't hear her, my mind full of the crowd's roar, and I shrug. Superboy stands with Aqualad, and apparently the two of them were questioning a guard before they spotted me. Disgust is written all over his expression, and he makes a face of contempt at me.

I promptly shoot him a responding face and wave at Kaldur before heading offstage, following the prince away as the musicians begin a new song.

The Queen greets us backstage, resting her hands on Jadir's arms and beaming with pride. "My son, you were fantastic! The crowd simply adored you. You were wonderful as always, darling. Your voice and power grow stronger with every performance."

She shoots me a suggestive glance. "And it seems, my son, that your chosen ladies have grown stronger as well. It is good to see you, young one. I am so glad you could perform with my son! You did a marvelous job."

I blush gratefully and smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but your son was the real star. I merely accented his wonderful performance."

She nods. "Too true, too true. Now if you don't mind scurrying off, your maids have a costume for your next number. You'll be the third from next, so I suggest changing quickly. Best of luck!"

I offer a deep curtsy and smile at the mother-son pair before walking away. Barely a few yards have passed before Saterina and Paae appear at my sides and guide me towards the changing rooms, all the time complimenting my performance. "I knew you had a strong voice because of Lady Hana, but I never knew you were _that _good!" Paae gushes. Saterina nods her agreement. "Absolutely! You were totally amazing! I had no idea you were so talented!"

We slip into a room full of mirrors and bursting with cheesy performer fabric. "Okay, we thought for your first solo you could do 'Candyman' by Christina Aguilera since yours is only two numbers away, hopefully you know that song. We'll do the backup for you since the auto-tuning gives the song three parts," Saterina orders, immediately taking charge. Paae scowls and glances at me. "I thought you should do something without backup, but _somebody _is determined to sing with you, so there you have it."

I nod. "Okay, okay, calm down! We'll just do the song! Do we really have to wear the sailor outfits from the video, though?"

Saterina grimaces. "Sorry, Ari. They were all I could find that would work for the song." Paae smirks. "She means that she wanted to find," she whispers into my ear, and I stifle a giggle as Saterina tosses our outfits at us.

"Hey Ari, you can shift your outfit just by thinking about it, right?" Paae asks as she struggles into the tight white skirt. I nod, remembering my shift in London, and she smiles. "Perfect. So hey, at a couple points in the song, you can just make a quick change and you'll be a lot better off."

I grin and toss the sailor outfit aside. "I have a better idea," I say cheerfully, and draw them into a huddle before concentrating on my dress. I focus, willing the color to change, and the glittering silver fabric turns to gold as Saterina and Paae throw on less revealing deep gold dresses for backup.

A small Faerie attendant knocks on the door. "Two minutes," they shout through the wood before hurrying away again, and I change my high heels to gold before unclipping my hair and letting the curls tumble around my shoulders.

"Come on girls," I say happily. "Let's get the real party started."

We practically burst out of the dressing room, leaving a trail of startled Fey and overturned costumes behind us. The same Faerie from earlier waits in the wings and clips a mobile microphone onto our cheeks.

While we wait for the latest number to end, Miss Martian flies down and lands right in front of me. "Arrietty, thank goodness you're safe! What's going on here?"

I smile. "Hello, Miss Martian. Good to see you."

She gasps. "Wait, your voice! You can talk! You just talked to me!" I smile, holding out my hands in a gesture of defeat, and she slaps her forehead. "Hello, Megan! Were you faking that inability to speak the whole time?"

I shake my head. "No, that was real. I can speak and sing down here because the Faerie Queen and my mistress really are enemies, so since the loss of the voice is a goddess tradition, the Faerie Queen gave me use of my voice as long as I'm down here. Isn't it great?"

Megan nods eagerly. "It's great! Anyway we came to get you and bring you back to base, so are you ready to go?"

Cheers and applause interrupt the conversation, and I glance out to find the crowd applauding and the previous group of singers coming off the stage.

I grin. "Sorry, Megan, but I'm afraid I'm performing next. Wish me luck!"

I whirl around and march out onto the stage. Saterina and Paae stand in the left and right edges of the stage, and I position myself in the middle with my back to the audience. I mouth the song title to the band, and they nod and begin playing.

Snapping my fingers, Saterina and Paae slowly move forward on the stage singing the backup, and when they reach me I whirl around. They place their hands on my shoulders, and together as a unit we begin marching down the stage. I sing the verse, the guitar blaring in my ears, and when we reach the chorus the lights blaze out onto us.

"_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?_

_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?_

_We say_

_Pretty lady Mama like!"_

The lyrics are ridiculous, the French dirty and our dance moves suggestive. I can feel the horror on Kaldur's face radiating from here. The electric beat pounds as the audience claps along, each of the three of us hitting longer notes when the moment calls for it, but Paae and Saterina keep the focus on me and I soak up the attention.

We reach the end of the song, and I let out a final belting note:

"_Pretty lady Mama !_"

I punch my fist into the air, and the lights in front of us go out, leaving us illuminated from the back, and the crowd goes wild. I laugh and lower my arms, high-fiving Paae and Saterina, and when the lights come back up we take a group bow. Paae and Saterina bow again, then gesture to me, and I walk forward and bow deeply while the crowd's praise roars and flows around me, a wave of positive noise. I rise again, searching for Kaldur, and when I spot him his face is horrified as I knew it would be: the innocent girl he knew is gone, and the real Arrietty has taken her place. This Arrietty loves the stage, loves the spotlight, and has no intention of giving it up for a superteam. And yet…I would miss him desperately, just as I miss my family.

As we head backstage, Megan intercepts us. "I saw where you were looking," she tells me as Paae and Saterina continue back to the changing room. "Aqualad really cares about you, you know. You should talk to him."

I blush and frown at the ground. "I doubt he's too pleased with me right now," I mutter.

She shrugs. "Well, I'll take him a message and let him know you're all right. Do you have any other performances, or can we go soon?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, I have one more performance, but I'm not sure when. I'll let you know." She nods. "Okay, that's fine with me. Superboy's going to be mad, though." I shrug. "Whatever," I say nonchalantly. "I'm less afraid of him than Aqualad."

She smiles. "Don't worry," she says reassuringly. "Something tells me you two will be happy pretty soon."


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne. That's all.

Chapter 23

I hug Megan and promptly send Saterina to see when my next number is before collapsing into a chair. All this performing was nice, but I haven't slept in almost two days and my body still aches from the assassination attempt, not to mention the stress coursing through my blood at the thought of meeting up with Kaldur. What does he think of me, now that I'm not the sweet girl he used to know?

Saterina rushes back with a smile. "Your number is seven away. You're eighth on the list right now."

I grin. "Thanks, Sateri. In that case I'm going to get some more wine. My muscles are slowing down and my brain needs some livening up." She laughs and pats my shoulder. "Whatever you need! Just don't drink yourself into a coma. We'll be watching to make sure you aren't attacked again."

I rise from the chair and begin speed-walking towards the exit, but Saterina calls after me. "Ari, wait!" I turn slowly. "Yeah?" I yell back.

She nods cautiously. "Keep your eyes open," she warns me. "You never really know who your enemies are."

I nod soberly before quietly climbing up the tree tunnel and emerging into the vibrant crowd.

When some of the dancers nearest the tree spot me, they let out a cheer, and I promptly receive many handshakes and pats on the back. Words of congratulations pour over me, flooding my ears with the joyful waves of noise- all the voices are cheerful, but none of them the one I want to hear.

I smile and nod until my face hurts, accepting thanks and weaving my way through the crowd to the refreshment table. Pouring myself a large cup of wine, I take a small sip and dash into a dark corner. I quietly watch the dancing from a distance and take small sips from my wine as I reflect on Kaldur and I. How badly have I damaged us?

Where do I even start? He'll think the lack-of-speech thing was fake when it wasn't, that Paae and Saterina are my cohorts in some team escape plan. He thought that the missed phone call was because I died, and he just saw me alive and performing…not to mention the fact that I'm dressed like a party slut. And Jadir…our flirtatious performance and bows…that looked horrible in his eyes. I can feel his heart breaking from here.

Oh, Kaldur…my wonderful, sweet Kaldur…what have I done?

When I close my eyes, I see him pressed against the darkness of my thoughts. He sits in a chair, head in his hands while Superboy keeps watch. His back rises and falls with deep, gasping breaths as my lies hit him full force. I want to call to him, to tell him where I am, to throw myself into his arms and cry for all the pain he went through and tell him I can never be sorry enough for worrying him so much.

Suddenly, he looks up and rises, and my eyes pop open. I take a long, large gulp of wine, fighting to clear the vision from my head. I have to perform again soon, and the crowd expects a different Arrietty than the one I am with Kaldur. He calms me down, he makes me stronger…

He's right in front of me.

I see his face over the lip of my cup, and my eyes widen. He stands, frozen, simply watching me, and I lower the glass from my mouth. His head tilts, arms crossed, and he continues staring at me as though trying to solve a puzzle.

I blush and glance at the ground. The thoughts that must be running through his mind now…

His voice breaks into my mind. "Arrietty." I glance up, sheepish, and let the cup dangle at my side as I clutch my arms protectively. I meet his gaze, cold and blue, before darting my eyes away again. "Hello Kaldur," I murmur. "I assume you're here to bring me back to base, as instructed." He nods. "I am."

I take another swig of wine and set the cup down on a nearby table. The liquid fire courses through my veins again, and I raise my head, a little more defiant. "Why did you come?" I ask him.

He starts. "I am on a team. When our team has orders from Batman, we follow them." I cross my arms. "I know that. But you could have ignored him, since the orders came from my mistress and not your leader. Why else did you come?"

His lips part a little, and a soft moment of silence passes between us. "Arrietty-" he murmurs, and he steps forward. "I came because you told me I could. You told me if I was worried after three days, I could come find you."

I stare at a small point just behind his shoulder, a flashing purple light on the stage. "You worried," I say calmly.

He whirls defensively at me. "Of course I worried. You're a team member and my…friend." He struggles on the last word, and I glance at him. He stands, trembling, his fists clenched. He's been trained for fighting, not talking, and his own emotions are confusing him. He glares at the ground, his lips fighting to form sounds that won't come out, and my heart melts.

I close the gap between us and throw my arms around him. "I'm glad you came," I whisper into his suit. "Otherwise I might have danced forever and forgotten to go back to you."

He softens, but his arms don't wrap around me the way we both yearn for them to be, and I burrow my face in his chest. _Let go,_ I think softly. _Let it be. _

"You left," he whispers. "And…you thought about not coming back."

I glance up, but his eyes are miles away. "I was so worried about you. I thought you had died, or that you had been hurt…and I was nowhere near your mind. You were off dancing with that pretty boy from the stage."

He removes me from him, and I search his face, desperate for the release I felt coming only moments before, but his protective wall has gone up. He stares at me, pain dripping from his eyes. "I fought for you, fought to come find you, to make sure you were safe. I couldn't stand the thought of something happening to you-"

He chokes, and my eyes water. "I'm sorry. The wine- something in the wine makes me forget. There's no day or night here. I don't know how long I've been here. I was planning to go back-"

"When?" he snaps. "In a month, a year? After you're married off to the prince? After you've forgotten everything that's happened between us?" The tears start to fall, and I shake my head, murmuring "No, no," under his rant. Finally, I break.

"Do you WANT me to stay?" I snap through my tears. "Because if you can't forgive and I can forget, then I'm going to go right ahead and stay."

He freezes, his lips poised to abuse me again- his fighter's instinct took over the words. I go on, tears streaming down my face. "LISTEN to me, damn it! There is NOTHING going on between me and Jadir! He's in love with Paae and I'm trying to help them- the Queen is the one who wants the marriage. I want nothing to do with it and I didn't pick up the first day because yes, there was an assassination attempt, and I'm drinking the wine because it has healing powers but I lay there for a day thinking only about you. And yes, I'm a party animal, but I have music in my _blood_, Kaldur. There is nothing running through my mind onstage or on the dance floor except for the beat- not you, not the prince, not my family, and absolutely not what day it is. Do you honestly think I'm such a horrible person as to just forget all that? I can't dance forever, but maybe I'll try if this is how you're going to treat me!"

He stares at me, taken aback by my outburst, and I wipe my tears away before standing tall. "I have to perform soon, Aqualad," I say, my voice trembling. He jerks sharply at the formal name, and disappointment flits across his face. He reaches out. "Arrietty-"

I swipe him away, and grit my teeth against the tears, but they fall down my face anyway. "I'm performing soon," I say softly. "After that, we can go back to base." I race away, brushing past his quick grip and summoning a breeze to slow him down. The tree looms above me, its branches looming and twisting in the dark, and I search for the hole with blurry vision. The black spot- there's the black spot. I shove my way through the crowd, the tears slowing but the old trails staining my face.

I slide through the hole and crumple to the ground backstage. Paae flits to my side instantly, wiping the tears away with her handkerchief. "Honey, I saw that whole exchange with Aqualad," she murmurs. "I didn't hear anything, just keeping an eye on you, just…what do you need right now?"

Snatching the handkerchief, I wipe my face like a selfish little baby and sniffle before rising from the ground. My dress is stained with wine and tears, and I sigh. "Paae," I murmur. "First, thank you for caring and all. I'm being a very selfish person today. Also, I need the blue dress from my suitcase and the black leather strap wrapped in it. When's my performance?"

She nods and takes the kerchief back from me. "You're the song after next. I'll fly and get your things really quick. Stay with Sateri, okay?"

I nod sheepishly, and Saterina appears at my side while Paae flies off toward the castle. "Come on, Ari," she mutters. "Let's head to the dressing room. Backstage assassins are looking for all signs of weakness."

Brushing the last of the tears from my face, I follow her to the room with quick, confident steps and shut the door tightly behind us. I undress and throw the silver minidress to the floor. Paae returns and quietly slips into the room.

I pull on the black strap and pouch and place my spell beads in it. Then I slip into the beautiful blue dress, the layers fading lighter and lighter until silver reaches the ground, and pull on a simple gold locket. "I'll be back," I whisper, but they follow me to the wings anyway.

One microphone waits center stage, the lights faded to soft blue and lavender, and I smile gently: the Queen is ready for me to serenade her son. This song, however, is definitely not for him.

I walk out, searching for Kaldur in the crowd. He can't see my own expression, but his face is pale, waiting for me to lash out in a song, and I smile. I could never hate Kaldur, but when my words failed me, I knew I could sing the truth to him.

The music starts, and I softly sing "Keep Holding On" into the mic. The words are hard to hear, but I can only imagine the effect the song has. Powerful piano chords pour into guitar solos, and maybe I look beautiful and elegant in this dress like my mother wanted me to. The lavender lights glow behind me, giving me a gentle aura, and I cling to the microphone as long as I dare.

"Nothing you can say…

Nothing you can do…

There's no other way when it comes to the truth

So keep holding on….

Cuz you know we'll make it through…"

Kaldur's pride fades, and I watch as the stone wall crumbles once again. I pour every ounce of my love into the lyrics, all the emotion I feel whenever Kaldur comes around. I am better when he is with me. I don't have to be Arrietty, party animal. I can be stronger, I can be above that part of me.

I am Arrietty Karmin, the future nature goddess of Kasa and the love of the leader of the Young Justice team.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After the performance, the lights brighten and the Queen steps onstage before I can make my escape. "That was a simply beautiful performance, my dear," she says with a quick smile before turning to the crowd. "Wouldn't you agree, my friends? Another round of applause for our visiting star!"

The audience erupts, blasting a wall of noise at me, and I paste a smile on my face and sink into a deep curtsy. I blow a kiss to the crowd, and they jeer and leap at the air. I am their shining star. I drive them wild.

This is exactly what the Queen wants. If the Fey love me, I might want to stay and become one of them, and to do that…I would have to marry Prince Jadir.

I smirk inwardly and curtsy to the Queen. "I thank you for opening the stage to me, Your Majesty, as well as your hearts. You have been most kind ever since my arrival. You are a great leader to these kind and welcoming people," I say loudly. The mob cheers for their Queen, and she nods her head in respect to those who worship her.

She gestures to the crowd to quiet down. "Of course you are welcome here, my dear. It has been too long since we have seen one of our friends from the great realm of Kasa. In fact, I would very much like to make peace with you and your powerful race."

I nod and fold my hands in my skirt. "That is why I am here, Your Majesty. The Kasan gods would very much like to regain our previous friendship with the Fey."

She smiles quaintly, and I blush as I realize what she's about to do. _Oh no, _I think softly. _Oh god, please no. Don't say it. Don't destroy what I just rebuilt. _

She flicks her fingers, and Jadir steps onto the stage, even handsomer than before in royal purple. "As a symbol of our restored peace with the gods of Kasa, I, the Queen of the Silver Realm, would be honored to wed my eldest son and heir to you, apprentice and heiress to the throne of the Golden Realm. The marriage would solidify our alliance and strengthen our bonds, as well as bringing great honor upon both worlds. Will you accept this as a token of our kindness?" she announces loudly.

My blood pounds through my ears, and I count the number of times my pulse beats. One…two…three…too slowly. My thoughts are frozen. If I say yes, my entire future with Kaldur is lost forever; if I say no, these drunken Fey will declare war on Kasa, and my position as well as Hana's would be jeopardized.

I swallow nervously and scan the eager crowd. Every face in the mob hopes for a "yes", for their glowing star to marry their golden boy.

Except one.

Paae stands in the back of the crowd, blushing sadly at the ground as Saterina pats her arm comfortingly.

Suddenly, their earlier words come flooding back to me. "The only way for a commoner to marry the Prince is for somebody to wish it at the end of the festival."

I turn to the Queen, refocusing my gaze, and say calmly but loudly, "I am unsure of the marriage would work out, since we are from different realms. I would have different duties many worlds away. Is there a way for me to become a Faerie in order to remain in this realm?"

The Queen grins widely. "But of course, my dear. As a token of our gratitude, we will grant you one wish of your choosing. You could wish to become a Faerie and officially join the Silver Realm. Will you wish for this?"

I glance at Jadir. His face has fallen, thinking I have really decided to marry him and force him into a life away from Paae.

I smile and laugh softly. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Fey of the Silver Realm, I thank you for your exceptionally kind offer…but I am afraid that my marriage to Prince Jadir is most unlikely. His heart belongs to another, and if he marries me despite his love that is no sort of marriage at all."

"However, I will make my wish. My greatest desire is that the prince be permitted to wed my handmaiden Paae, who has lain in his thoughts since he first met her. Let them be wed, and let their love shine eternally."

I summon a small breeze and whisk Paae up to the stage, placing her right next to Jadir. Crossing over to them, I join their hands together and look pleadingly at the Queen. "Do not break your promise, Your Majesty," I say slyly. "I've made my wish."

She scowls at me and waves her hands in a grand gesture. "You are correct, my dear. From this day forth, let my son and his beloved live in wedded peace. Upon your coronation day, she will join you as your Queen!"

I raise their joined hands in the air in a gesture of triumph, and the crowd cheers wildly. The Fey are an emotional people, and the storybook ending of the prince with the beautiful commoner girl has touched their hearts to the very core. Add to that the fact that their latest shining star has approved the union, and the future King and Queen of the Silver Realm have gained the unanimous support of their future subjects. Paae gasps with amazement, and Jadir stares at her, hopelessly lost in his love as he draws her into his arms. I smile and back away to let them have their moment.

The Queen passes by on her way offstage and pats me on the shoulder. "Very clever, Miss Arrietty," she murmurs approvingly. "You will be a great goddess very soon. I will remain cold to the gods during Lady Hana's rule…but when you ascend the golden throne, you may count the Fey among your allies." I nod my understanding, and she descends into the cheering crowds to join their celebration and keep spirits high.

Scanning the crowd, I spot Kaldur at the very back, and he sends me a knowing smile. I smile back and wave tentatively at him. He starts to wend his way through the crowd towards the stage, and for a moment I can see our fairytale ending happening here too.

Suddenly, I spot a dark figure crouched on a balcony of the palace, a bow posed to fire and an arrow drawn from their quiver.

The whistling from before reaches my ears, and I dive to the floor as the arrow shoots through where my heart was a moment ago and drives itself deep into the stage wall.

I fly to my feet again as the crowd gasps and points. Some Fey panic and flee the dance floor, and soon the entire audience has transformed into a chaotic mass of bodies running from the new danger.

Another whistling reaches my ears, and I can barely make out the form of the arrow before I spin to the side. Another arrow buries itself in the floor as I lift the skirt of my dress and yank a spell bead from my pouch.

The dark figure from before leaps from the balcony and races towards the horde of Fey, hoping to make a quick escape, and I grit my teeth.

"Spell bead,

my world is filled with strife.

Reveal to me

The one after my life!"

I hurl the bead into the air, and it explodes, scattering pale blue dust over the entire crowd. For all but one figure, the dust falls right off, but my attacker's head glows like a neon sign.

"Ari!" Saterina's voice calls, and she flies overhead, dropping my battlesuit into my arms. I use my shifting powers to slip out of my dress and into the suit, fastening my bead holster around my thigh before leaping from the stage and giving chase.

The glittering blue head bobs through the fleeing lines of Fey into a grove on the edge of the castle grounds, and I speed along on a wind. They attempt to climb a wall, but I bring up a mound of earth and send them tumbling to the ground. The assassin whirls around, brandishing the bow and arrow, but I draw the water from a fountain and swirl it around him to blur his view. An arrow flies through the water, but I leap and kick him in the elbow. Thank you, training.

The bow falls to the ground, and I whisper for one of my spell beads to glow before landing a hard blow to his knees and crumpling him to the ground. I shine my yellow light in his face to find a stranger.

I glare down at him and form a bolt of fire in my hand. "Who are you, and why do you want me dead?" I ask coldly.

He glares at me, his black eyes stained seaweed green, and the overwhelming smell of salt water burns my nostrils. "You stand between Lord Corinthes and the throne," he spits. "Lord Corinthes will rule all. You will regret this, foolish girl. He is far stronger than you will ever be. He will take the throne and crush you like the tiny bug you are. I am the messenger, the one who will deliver him to his place of power-"

Kaldur lands lightly on the ground by his head and swiftly cuts his tongue out. "That's enough chatter," he says calmly. "If you want Arrietty dead, you have to go through me, as well as the many other powerful people who will see her safely to her destiny. Know this, you freakish sea god- the Atlantians do not worship you, nor do any other well-meaning ocean dwellers. If your own do not want you, rest assured the rest of the universe will not want you either."

I plunge the firebolt into the assassin's chest, and he starts sharply before writhing in pain as his clothing, then his hair and skin burn away.

Kaldur and I rise and stare at his dissolving body. "I thought Corinthes could simply be pushed aside," I murmur. "But I see now that there's no avoiding him. I'll kill him to fix this- or die trying."

He clenches his fists. "We are behind you, Arrietty. You have nothing to fear when you confront him."

We stand in silence, watching the villain's body burn. I think of Toby's kidnapping, and now the assassin on my visit. Corinthes has rolled his dice. It's my move.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The next day, we arrive at base mostly intact and find no heroes have come while we were away. With no missions awaiting us, the rest of the team crashes on the couch while I head to my room to plan my next move against Corinthes.

I flop onto my bed and pull out one of my whiteboards. Drawing a table, I write my name on one side and Corinthes on the other and promptly start making a list of our strengths and weaknesses. In raw power I'm a lot stronger than he is, and I have more allies, but he has an endless slave army from the sea. He could build more soldiers out of seaweed if necessary- and he's clearly not above well-paid mercenaries or hypnotized killers.

Pulling out my pouch of spell beads, I count the number of remaining beads I have left- about two dozen. I'll need to stay careful.

I sweep them back into the bag and examine the chart again, drawing lines between our similarities, then our differences. Where can I find a weakness?

Formalities. Corinthes has a weakness for all the traditional rules of battle. Before coming after me the first time, he sent a message to alert me of the time and place, and he works on a strict regimen of your move-my move.

I grimace. I'll have to meet with him to arrange a formal battle…and if I can mess with his psyche during the meeting, it will throw him off-balance. But how do I get a message to him? I don't know where he is, let alone if he'll agree to meet with me on peaceful terms. I could probably try to regain the mental connection from my dream in the Faerie world, but it'll take a lot of studying and hard work…and who knows how much time I have before the next assassin strikes? What if Toby is kidnapped again and we can't find him? What if he does something to Kaldur?

I shake my head. _Focus_, Arrietty. If I can re-establish the psychic link created by Corinthes, I can meet with him while he is unable to draw in his oceanic powers and discuss the terms of a formal battle.

Heaving myself off the bed, I rest the whiteboard against my desk and take a seat in the chair. I close my eyes and sit in utter, complete silence. _Corinthes_, I think. _I wish to speak with you._

Nothing happens. The black room from before doesn't appear again, and no image of my foe appears. I frown. This must take a lot of concentration and study.

I close my eyes again and focus, removing all thoughts from my mind one by one until I repeat Corinthes' name over and over again in my mind, asking for a meeting and summoning him with all my will.

A small spark flickers in the back of my mind, and I gasp at it. I focus on it, urging it forward, attempting to pull it into the center of my thoughts, when it flashes brightly and shocks me. I let out a silent squeal and fall backwards to the floor.

I lie there in silence, hoping the spark has grown, but to my disappointment my mind has gone black. Suddenly I hear frantic banging on the door and Kaldur's concerned voice. "Arrietty? What was that noise? Is everything all right?"

My eyes pop open and I sigh softly. _Everything's fine_, I think sarcastically. _Life's just peachy at the moment._

The knocking continues. "Arrietty. I know you're in there," he mutters softly. "Open the door or I'm coming in to see what's wrong."

Reluctantly, I heave myself off the floor and slide the door open. Kaldur stands patiently, his head cocked slightly, and his gray eyes bore into me with an intense calm that eases my tense nerves just a little. "What happened?" he asks. "Everyone else is asleep, but I was watching television when I heard a crash. Are you all right?"

I nod and head over to grab a whiteboard. _Fine. Just nodded off in a chair and fell out of it. It's all good._

He nods. "I'm glad it was nothing serious."

I smile softly and collapse on my bed, swinging my legs back and forth thoughtfully. Kaldur kneels in front of me and rests his elbows on his knees. "Arrietty, look at me."

My feet become fascinating.

He tilts my chin up to meet his gaze. "What is the actual problem here? You seem distracted."

I shake my head, and his hand slides up to my cheek. I reach up instinctively and hold it there, cradling his hand against my face. Since we've left the Faerie world and I can't speak anymore, this is the only way I can show him how grateful I am he's here.

I press my lips into his palm, and his breath catches. "Arrietty-" he begins, but he silences when I look at him. All the love I have ever felt for this wonderful, amazing boy floods through me, my insides burning with passion as my skin cries out for more of his touch.

Sinking to the ground, I clutch both his hands in mine and stare at them intently. In the Faerie world we felt the pressures of the world watching us, my popularity and endless barrier between us. But here, in our own quiet world, we can find our connection again.

My lips form his name, but the sound will not come. _Kaldur_, they murmur. _Kaldur._

His hands grip mine tightly before drawing me into his arms and hugging me tightly. I return the embrace, gripping his shoulders and practically trembling. All the pressure I am under- to be the next Goddess of Nature, to kill Corinthes, to find my family- is finally reaching me. For a while I have been on the move, using training and trips to keep myself ahead of the trouble. But now, lying motionless in Kaldur's arms, my problems catch up and hit me full force.

I realize I am afraid for the future.

I am afraid to wake up tomorrow and find a message saying one of my family members has been killed. I am afraid for the day when Hana dies and I must rise to power. I am afraid that I will do battle with Corinthes and fail…that I will die.

I am afraid to lose Kaldur. Because the day will come when I must move on, and he will have to stay behind.

I shiver, and his arms tighten around me. "It will be all right, Arrietty," he murmurs, as though he has read my thoughts. "No matter what happens, we will find a way. You will be safe, and I will be safe, and the team will be safe."

Shifting, I lean my forehead against his, and he smiles gently at me. "The world will turn on," he murmurs, "and our world will continue."

My lips form words again, a futile, desperate effort to make him hear the words _I love you_. Those are the only words I need now. They are all I want to say. They are the only ones I want him to hear.

He glances down, reading my lips, and presses his mouth against mine. The words stop coming, the thoughts stop being complete.

He tastes of the salty ocean, of the sweet candies he ate this morning in the Queen's palace. The flavors conflict and turn bittersweet on my tongue. His velvet voice hums into my mouth, and I draw away to hear the words he has unconsciously murmured.

"-love you. I love you. I will always be here for you. I love you, Ari-"

I press my lips against his again and wrap my arms around his neck, melting in our shared passion and letting my worries break around us as we find what we have desired from each other for so long.


	26. Chapter 26

Hello everyone –

I am sorry to say that I will be ending this story. I know there were unresolved conflicts, but I'm having trouble continuing the story with these characters and the beginning of the series (which it is based in) is just too long ago. A lot of other things have happened. Therefore, I will leave you with a basic summary of what would have happened, one last battle chapter, and the epilogue. Thank you all for sticking with me all this time, and please don't be angry that I am condensing multiple chapters into a paragraph and wrapping it up. Thank you for being excellent fans and leaving helpful reviews!

~Summary of last third of story~

Arrietty contacts Corinthes and they arrange to battle in the Arizona desert where they won't disturb anybody. The team comes along for support but Corinthes arrives alone. Confused, the team runs at him, only to have his zombie army of followers rise from the ground and begin attacking them. All the team members become very distracted while Corinthes remains on high ground and continuously summons army members to sap their strength. Aqualad sees through Corinthes' strategy and makes a sly run through the crowd to Corinthes' platform. Aqualad subdues him and strips him of his trident, leading Corinthes to transform into Batman, who confesses that he was obeying Hana's orders since he loves her and that he is in possession of Arrietty's voice. Hana never wanted a replacement but felt pressure from other gods to take an apprentice, so she gave Batman supernatural powers in order to kill Arrietty and maintain her position. Batman passes out from the stress of the supernatural forces flooding him and Kaldur desperately scans his body for signs of Arrietty's voice.

~Final Chapter, from Kaldur's POV~

"Come on, come on, it's got to be on him," I mutter. Rummaging through pockets and folds in the loose clothing, I realize I don't know what I'm looking for. Arrietty didn't describe what her voice looked like, and it's probably hidden well.

As I brush over Batman's torso once more, a small gold pendant falls out, oval-shaped and heavy. I pick it up and shake it, but nothing rattles. It is all I have, however, so I hit it against the ground. Once. Twice. It cracks.

I slam the pendant to the ground a third time, and it bursts open, seeping dark blue mist over the rocks. I heave Batman's body over my shoulders and run to higher ground, but the mist oozes downwards towards the battlefield.

Robin notices first and hollers to others to get out of the way, and Megan picks up the message as well. Slowly, the others trickle off the desert and onto the rocks, and I watch in amazement as the mist does its work.

Whenever it rolls up against the legs of one of the undead workers, the creature dissolves and falls apart. The mist rapidly empties the hard-packed dirt field, continuing on its quest.

I spot Arrietty, still fighting two of the undead. She must not have received Megan's message. I try to yell, to give her warning. "Arrietty! Look out! Leap! Get out of the way!"

She turns, stabbing a firebolt through the undead foe, but it is too late. The mist has nearly reached her. She won't escape.

I gasp when it touches her, waiting for her to dissolve into a pile of sand, but something changes. The mist seeps over her feet, rises up her legs, and her mouth forms a perfect O. As it continues upwards, her expression changes from the exhausted determination of battle. Her eyes close, and she tilts her face upward towards the clouds. When it rolls up her chest, she sighs and shudders a bit, tilting her neck as though to welcome it.

It coats her completely, then pulls away for a split second. And then…it rushes her.

Every last bit of the mist pounds its way into her throat, hitting her with such force that she steps back several inches, then falls to the ground.

For a moment, only silence fills the air, and I panic. She's dead. She can't be dead. She is invincible. She has fast reflexes. She could have dodged this fate.

My Arrietty…

The eerie silence prods me, nudging me forward, asking me to watch, but I cannot look. I turn away and lay Batman on the ground, sinking to my knees. She is gone. Arrietty…is gone…

_Kaldur! Get down there! _Megan orders me. And even though I don't want to see her dead, my feet run of their own accord. I jump from rock to rock, rushing without looking, letting my instinct control me. I have to reach her. I have to get there. I have to say goodbye. I need her to be alive, somehow, even if it isn't possible.

I crouch by her body and lift her head into my lap. Her eyes are closed, but she doesn't breathe, and I rest my ear on her chest. No movement – not even a sound. No shuddering gasps. I check her wrist. No pulse.

My lips tighten, and I lower my head. "Today," I murmur, "we have lost a great warrior, and a great love." I brush her bangs out of her eyes. "Arrietty…you were an important member of our team…and of my life. I will never forget you. I will honor you always. I…love you…even if I have lost you."

Suddenly, her pulse flares to life under my fingertips, beating slowly but surely, and I look up. Small breaths reach my ears as her chest rises and falls, and I smile. "Arrietty – you're – "

Her eyes snap open, and a force flings her out of my arms. She rises and glances at me.

"Kaldur," she murmurs. "I feel it. Hana's power. She is gone…I'm free."

"You are Arrietty – my Arrietty. You are, aren't you?" I ask suspiciously.

She smiles softly and closes her eyes, turning her arms and face towards the heavens. A gold light showers down from the clouds and envelops her, and in that moment, I hear them. The Kasan gods, laughing together, clinking together glasses at a feast, and even a few words of welcome towards Arrietty.

She floats a few inches off the ground, perfectly content, and something changes in her demeanor. Her face becomes more relaxed, but more dignified at the same time. Her body absorbs the glow from above, and her hair lightens and flows down to her waist, the pale golden locks streaming from a newly-placed white tiara on her brow. Her battlesuit melts into a blindingly white dress the color of blizzard snow, with sleeves reaching her wrists and a collar and waistline embroidered with gold and jewels.

The rays from above fade, and she sinks to the ground. When she opens her eyes, they are not the familiar green I have come to love. They have become pure, liquid gold, shot through with occasional streaks of their former color. She turns to face us all, including myself and the other team members who have rushed down from above. She opens her mouth, and her warm, soft voice pours out with a new melodic tone.

"Thank you all for everything you have done for me. I'm afraid my time with you is done, for many an age. Rest assured you have been wonderful friends, but as the new Goddess of Nature, I must see to the rest of this universe, as well as the many others in existence, and continue visiting old allies to strengthen my new position. I am nothing if not ambitious and stubborn. You all know that."

She smiles softly, demurely – she is completely different from who she was just this morning.

Megan steps forward and clasps her hands. "Is it nice? Will you be happy in your new position?"

Arrietty nods. "Oh, yes. It is lovely already. I feel strong – stronger than I ever have before. I can see my family. They're doing well. And Paaë and Saterina are too. I can see all of it, every event in the universes happening at once. I see truths and lies, and I can see the souls of all those who are living and those who wait to be reincarnated. I see the good and the bad and everything that has happened and everything that will happen and all the things in between and it's beautiful. Every piece of life is a snowflake now – each different, but together all is beautiful. And oh, Megan, it is wonderful to be a goddess. I see it now."

Megan nods, a bit in awe of this sudden picture, and steps back. The team waves goodbye to her and each say their farewells, which Arrietty accepts with a nod and a smile.

"Aqualad, we're going back to the ship. Join us soon," Robin calls. I nod, but remain kneeling silent on the ground.

After a few moments, Arrietty glides over to me. "Kaldur."

I don't move.

She sighs. "Kaldur, stand up."

I remain kneeling. "It is only fitting that I show respect to the new goddess."

She rolls her eyes and flicks her fingers, lifting me to my feet with a quick tug of wind. "Oh, Kaldur, don't be that way. Everybody is." I look her in the eye. "This has changed you. You're different now. I hope you do well in your new position, but I wish you had remained the same."

She leans in. "Can I tell you a secret?" I raise my eyebrows, and she grins. "I haven't changed at all. I just didn't want to tell them. I really won't see them again, so I figured I wouldn't give them a reason to come hunting for me. But don't worry. I'm fine."

My eyes widen, and she smiles and plants a small kiss on my cheek before placing a hand on my face and offering a sad look. "I have to go soon…and I don't know when I'll be back. I may not even come back in this life. When I return…you might have died and been reincarnated, and I won't know how to find you."

I turn my head and press my lips against her hand. "I will wait for you," I tell her. "No matter how long it takes or how many people I must become, part of me will always wait for you. I will always know when you come. I will always search for you. But you have to promise that you will come back one day."

She nods, and tears form in her eyes. "I will return for you, Kaldur. And when I do, I'll bring you with me no matter where I go."

She presses her lips against mine for a moment – just a moment – and when I open my eyes again she's gone.


	27. The End

EPILOGUE

Saterina and Cantir lived very happily for many years in the Faerie world, working together as a team of bounty hunters bringing criminals to justice. Saterina was awarded an honorable service medal and a blessed wish from the newly coronated Queen Paaë and King Jadir, who ruled wisely and well. Their daughter married Saterina and Cantir's son, and that generation currently rules the kingdom. Both the couples aged and retired and get along fairly well. Parties are still common and often attended by Kasan gods, especially Arrietty. Open mic night is encouraged and marriage laws have been eliminated.

The gods of Kasa renewed their friendly terms with the Fey, thanks to the hard efforts of the goddess Arrietty and Queen Paaë. With their new alliance, the two worlds celebrated by creating a new star in the shape of a music note.

Arrietty was welcomed among the gods, who had long yearned for a replacement for Hana. Her refreshing new tastes inspired some and were distasteful to others, but overall she has been well integrated into the Kasan society, and few have had trouble accepting one so young as their new leader. Her strong personality and fierce determination convinced them all she was fit to lead.

Kaldur chose not to tell his teammates that Corinthes was Batman. He aided his leader back to base and changed his clothes, and with Megan's help he finally erased Batman's unpleasant memories and his knowledge of the gods. He never saw Arrietty again in that lifetime. However, his next incarnation was born fifteen years ago, and now that she has settled into her duties, Arrietty is often on the hunt for her lost love. And when she finds him, they will indeed somehow be together forever.

~THE END~


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